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SHEEP-BEEEDING   INDUSTEY 

IN    THE 

ARGENTINE    EEPUBLIC 


THE  HISTOEY  AND  PRESENT  STATE 


SHEEP-BREEDING    INDUSTRY 


IX    THE 


AEGENTINE    EEPUBLIC 


BY 

HEKBERT   GIBSON 


BUENOS   AIRES 
EAVENSCEOFT  AND  MILLS 

1893 


TO 

THOMAS    GIBSON,    Esq., 

Who  was  one  of  the  first  pioneers  of  the  Sheep- breeding 
Industry  in  the  Argentine  Republic,  both  in  the  intro- 
duction of  Improved  Merino  and  Long-woolled  Sheep 
to  that  country,  and  to  whose  initiative  much  of  the 
present  success  in  Argentine  Sheep  -  farming  is  due,  this 
Work  is  affectionately  dedicated  by 

HIS    SON 

THE  AUTHOR. 


CONTEXTS 

PAGE 

INTRODUCTION     ...•••  1 

CHAPTER    I 

First  Ixtkoductiox  axd  History  of  Sheep  ix  the  Piiver 

Plate    ...-•••' 

CHAPTER   n 

Of    the    Present    State    of    the    Sheep    Stock    in    the 

Argentine         .  .  •  •  •  .40 

CHAPTER   HI 

The  Selection,  Purchase,  and  Administration  of  a  Sheep 


Farm     .  .  -  -  • 

CHAPTER   IV 

Prices,  Values,  Taxation,  and  Rural  Laws 


60 


96 


CHAPTER   V 

Of   the   Chief   Diseases  in  Sheep,  and  their  Treatment 

in  the  Argentine  Republic— Of  Poisonous  Weeds    .     129 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDIXG  INDUSTRY 


CHAPTER   VI 

PAGE 

Exit  for  Surplus  Stock  and  for  Produce — The  Meat- 
Freezing  Trade — Local  Wool  and  other  Produce 
Markets — Means  of  Remission  :  Railways  and  Roads 
— Canalisation  and  Surface  Draining  .  .158 


CHAPTER    Vn 

Some  Argentine  Esiancias 


187 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

"  Los  YxGLESEs"  Head  Station      .  .  .  Frontisjnece 

Sheep  Shearing  BY  Machinery      .  .  .    To  face  x>afje  lb 

The  Sansinena  Meat-Freezing  Establishment       .  „       158 

,,  „  ,,  View  from  tlie  Riaclio  ,,        166 

„  ,,  ,,  Engine-Room    .  ,,        168 

„  „  „  Interior  .  ,,169 

"  Manantiales"  Estancia   .  .  .  .  ,,225 

Interior  of  the  "  Curaiialan  "  Shearing  Shed      .  „       235 

"  Los  Yngleses  "  Head  Station      .  .  .  „       242 

Group  of  Rams      ......       255 

Lincoln  Ram  BRED  on  "  Los  Yngleses"       .  .  „       263 

Group  of  Sheep  bred  on  "Los  Yngleses"  .  „       274 

Group  op  Rams  bred  on  "Los  Yngleses"  .  „       282 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


MAPS    AND    PLANS 

Map  of  the  Argentine  Republic,  sliowing  tlie  present 
distribution  of  Sheep,  and  the  extent  of  the  Pasture 
Country  .....    To  face  page  A\ 

Map  of    the   Province  of   Buenos  Aires,  showing  the 

distribution  of  Sheep  per  square  mile     .  .  ,,  45 

Plan  of  Shearing  Shed  and  Yards            .  .  ,,         72 

Twin  Yard  for  Dipping,  Culling,  Drafting,  etc.  .  „         78 

Plan  of  Sheep-Dip,  with  Yards     .              .  .  ,,134 

Plan  and  Vertical  Section  of  Dipping-Bath  .  ,,136 

Map,    showing    the     Railway   Service     in     the    Argentine 

Republic  .  .  .  .  .  ,,178 

Plan  of  the  Estancia  "Trece  de  April"  .  .  ,,       227 


INTRODUCTION 

Much  has  already  been  written  upon  the  industry 
of  sheep-breeding  in  the  Argentine  ;  but  it  has  either 
been  committed  to  the  ephemeral  pages  of  a  periodical, 
or  mixed  up  with  other  matters  as  an  item  in  the 
economical  history  of  the  Republic ;  in  either  case  it 
is  practically  lost  in  a  general  way  to  the  public. 

The  object  of  the  present  booklet  is  twofold ;  it 
is  intended  alike  for  the  prospective  colonist  who 
looks  abroad  from  his  over -crowded  country  in 
search  of  a  new  home  where  he  may  settle  and  pro- 
gress, and  for  the  sheep-farmer  already  come  to  the 
country,  with  a  view  to  assist  him  in  the  selection 
of  his  stock  and  in  the  manner  of  breeding  them  at 
a  profit.  To  the  latter  much  of  the  matter  contained 
in  the  following  pages  will  be  superfluous,  but  it  is 
necessary  to  the  embryo  colonist  who  has  scarcely 
yet  learned  the  geographical  position  of  the  various 
Provinces  of  the  Republic.  Many  of  the  pages  are 
specially  WTitten  for  the  modest  working  capitalist 
who  is  looking  anxiously  afield  for  a  land  where  he 
can  find  a  comfortable  home,  and  gain  a  fair  return 
for  his  labour  and  outlay.     It  is  possible  also  that 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


the  wealthier  capitalist  may  find  encouragement  to 
take  up  an  industry  whose  prospects  are  so  bright 
as  those  of  sheep -farming  in  the  Argentine  un- 
doubtedly are. 

Of  the  many  industries  held  out  by  a  new  country 
as  an  allurement  to  immigrants,  there  is  not  one 
of  such  a  solid  nature  and  so  sure  of  a  continued 
existence  as  that  of  sheep-breeding.  An  industry 
which  provides  the  dense  population  of  over- 
crowded Europe  with  two  such  essential  articles  as 
food  and  clothing  cannot  be  subject  to  the  capricious 
evolutions  of  fashion.  It  may  be  more  or  less  pro- 
fitable as  the  ratio  of  supply  to  demand  waxes  or 
wanes,  but  where  the  land  is  naturally  so  good  as 
to  carry  one  sheep  and  upw^ards  to  the  acre,  and  the 
climate  so  propitious  to  the  fleecy  charge,  the  in- 
dustry must  always  be  a  remunerative  one. 

This  is  particularly  the  case  in  the  Provinces  of 
Buenos  Aires  and  the  Central  Pampa.  Here  is  a 
land  covered  with  nutritious  and  abundant  grasses, 
with  no  heavy  forests  to  be  cleared,  no  difiiculties 
to  contend  with.  One  vast  even  meadow  spreads 
from  the  skirt  of  the  Atlantic  to  the  foot  of  the 
Andes  and  Cordilleras,  and  this  great  expanse  is  a 
carpet  of  rich  soil  free  of  stones  and  barren  spots, 
and  clothed  with  ever -blooming  verdure.  And 
here  also  the  climate  is  perfect ;  the  rainfall,  which 
varies  from  26  to  32  inches,  is  well  distributed 
throughout  the  year,  and  serves  to  refresh  the 
grasses  and  flush  the  water  supplies.     The  tempera- 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


ture,  which  at  its  coldest  does  not  descend  below 
20°  Fahr.,  at  its  extreme  heat  in  the  shade  does 
not  exceed  96°.  There  are  neither  snow-storms, 
nor  severe  hurricanes,  nor  atmospheric  eruptions  of 
any  nature  sufficient  to  do  damage  to  the  stock  or 
occasion  loss.  There  are  no  diseases  of  an  epidemic 
character  to  cause  serious  mortality ;  and  such 
diseases  as  do  exist  or  occasionally  visit  the 
country,  come  in  such  a  benign  form  as  to  be  easily 
dealt  with.  Perhaps  no  better  proof  of  this  can  be 
adduced  than  the  practical  attestation  of  a  sheet  to 
be  found  farther  on,  where  the  returns  upon  one 
farm  for  twenty-five  years  are  given  in  full,  and 
year  by  year,  without  one  single  year  having  oc- 
curred where  the  increase  and  wool -clip  have  not 
been  satisfactory.  Neither  rabbits  nor  other  de- 
structive animals  infest  the  land.  In  a  word,  this 
vast  smiling  Pampa  is  the  home  elect  of  the  sheep, 
and  its  numerous  natural  advantages  place  it  far  in 
the  van  of  all  sheep-breeding  countries. 

It  may  be  a  matter  of  comment  that  a  country 
thus  professedly  endowed  with  such  a  valuable  pro- 
perty has  not  taken  a  more  distinguished  place  in 
the  wool  markets  of  the  world.  In  the  first  place 
answer  could  be  made  by  showing  the  wool  and 
mutton  returns  for  the  past  five  years,  by  which  it 
would  ^  be  seen  that  the  supply  of  both  wool  and 
meat  from  the  Argentine  is  rapidly  increasing,  and 
promises  to  take  a  first  place  in  the  European 
centres.      But  this  is  not  all  the  explanation  that 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDIN'G  INDUSTRY 


can  be  given,  nor  is  it  a  wholly  satisfactory  one. 
A  new  country,  struggling  to  consolidate  itself, 
cannot  devote  all  the  time  and  attention  necessary 
to  its  internal  industries.  Sparsely  populated,  and 
with  a  vast  domain  to  handle,  the  first  duty  was 
to  establish  a  federate  government,  and  nationalise 
a  scattered  people.  Unlike  a  colony,  which,  under 
the  sheltering  wing  of  a  mother  country,  can 
develop  its  resources  and  industries  at  peace,  the 
Argentine  Republic  has  had  to  come  through  all 
the  severe   trials  attendino-  the   formation  of  a  new 

o 

nation.  Frequently  civil  war  has  swept  over  the 
land,  scatterino'  the  colonists  like  leaves  before  a 
storm.  Frequently  the  shej)herd  has  had  to 
abandon  his  gentle  trade  and  join  his  compatriots 
in  a  fierce  campaign  for  law  and  constitution. 
What  wonder  then  if  during  this  process  of  evolu- 
tion the  industry  of  the  country  has  not  been  fully 
developed. 

But  the  Argentine  has  long  since  emerged  from 
the  struggle  in  which  it  was  plunged  for  fifty  years. 
The  fourteen  provinces  respond  to  one  federate 
orovernment,  and  law  and  order  are  established. 
The  consequent  spurt  in  every  industry  might  well 
have  been  expected.  Eailways  have  been  run  from 
north  to  south,  and  from  east  to  w^est ;  towns  have 
sprung  up  everywhere  ;  immigration  has  poured  in, 
and  the  land  has  been  opened  up  for  the  colonist.  In 
the  north  great  waving  fields  of  corn  have  taken 
the  place   of  desert  lands,   once  the  haunts  of  the 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


wandering  Indian.  In  the  south  the  whole  broad 
Pampa  is  dotted  with  sheej)  and  cattle  and  horses. 
As  is  not  unfrequently  the  case,  the  inhabitants 
became  intoxicated  with  the  brilliant  prospects  of 
the  country  and  speculation  took  the  place  of 
thrifty  labour.  Land,  houses,  stock,  all  rose  in 
value  until  fabulous  sums  were  reached  and  the 
country  became  one  of  golden  dreams  and  Asiatic 
splendour.  Every  one,  rich  and  poor,  young  and 
old,  joined  in  the  mad  rush  of  folly;  those  who 
would  fain  have  paused  to  consider  were  carried  on 
with  the  stream.  England  poured  in  its  millions, 
and  careless  of  reason  heedlessly  pandered  to  the 
impossible  schemes  of  a  nation  maddened  by  success. 
Companies  were  formed  everywhere  and  for  the 
wildest  of  projects.  Throughout  its  length  and 
breadth  the  land  was  flooded  with  bubble  enter- 
prises ; — and  of  course  one  day  the  bubble  burst. 

Consequent  upon  the  financial  crash  and  national 
disaster  which  have  followed  the  boom,  has  crept  in 
a  distrust  of  things  Argeutine.  Unable  to  separate 
the  grain  from  the  chaff,  the  outside  world  now 
classes  everything  Argentine  as  "  bogus."  The 
failures  of  banks  and  companies,  the  insight  gained 
into  the  rottenness  of  many  a  plausible  scheme,  have 
given  to  our  industries  a  colour  of  fictitiousness,  and 
the  lash  is  impartially  applied  to  the  genuine  and 
spurious  alike.  Such  a  state  of  things  cannot  last 
for  ever,  and  discriminating  capitalists  must  soon 
discover  the  solidity  of  the  most  important,  as  they 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


are  the  most  primitive,  industries  of  the  Argentine — 
agriculture  and  stock-raising.  Of  the  importance 
of  the  latter  too  much  cannot  be  said,  and  it  is 
destined,  in  company  with  its  sister  industry,  to 
redeem  the  country  and  restore  to  it  its  old  pro- 
sperity, the  consummation  of  which  is  dependent 
upon  the  return  of  public  confidence. 

Before  terminating  this  brief  introduction  I  take 
the  opportunity  to  acknowledge  the  assistance  kindly 
afforded  to  me  by  Dr.  Estanislao  S.  Zeballos,  whose 
work  A  Traves  de  las  Cahanas  has  very  materially 
aided  me.  I  also  desire  to  thank  those  sheep-farmers 
who  have  provided  me  with  the  information  con- 
tained in  Chapter  YII. 

Buenos  Aires, 
2(ith  March  1893. 


CHAPTER   I 

FIRST    INTRODUCTION    AND    HISTORY    OF    SHEEP    IN 
THE    RIVER    PLATE 

The  story  of  the  growth  of  the  sheep -breeding 
industry  in  the  River  PLate  resembles  that  told  of  all 
the  great  wool  and  mutton  producing  countries  in  its 
record  of  disaster,  trials,  and  repeated  failure.  As 
in  Australia  every  step  in  advance  was  checked  by 
opposition  arising  out  of  the  jealousy  of  the  local 
government  and  the  distrust  of  people  in  the  mother 
country,  so  in  the  Argentine  Republic  civil  war  and 
internal  trouble  held  back  an  industry  destined  to 
enrich  a  continent,  and  which  was  of  such  great 
vitality  that  no  amount  of  neglect  and  rebuffs  could 
destroy  its  progress,  or  do  more  than  retard  its 
development.  For  nearly  three  centuries  the  in- 
dustries of  Spanish  America  were  discouraged  by  the 
prohibitive  measures  of  a  short-sighted  home  adminis- 
tration. A  feeble  and  uncertain  commerce  was 
carried  on  with  Spain ;  the  markets  of  the  rest  of  the 
world  were  closed  to  the  South  American  colonies. 
"  All  access  to  the  Spanish  settlements  was  not  merely 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


closed  to  foreigners,  but  even  the  inhabitants  of  the 
diflferent  provinces  were  prohibited  from  intercourse 
with  one  another. — Cedula  of  1609.  Commerce  was 
exclusively  carried  on  with  Spain,  and  was  almost 
entirely  in  the  hands  of  the  Spaniards.  Law  7,  tit. 
87,  book  9,  of  the  Becojyilacion,  prohibits  the  in- 
habitants of  Spanish  America,  under  penalty  of  death, 
to  trade  W'ith  foreigners  on  any  pretext  whatever." 
{Revolution  in  Spanish  America,  1817.)  Production 
was  limited  by  law,  and  this  contemptible  retrograde 
joolicy  was  carried  to  the  extent  of  fixing  the  number 
of  tobacco  plants  to  be  cultivated  in  South  America, 
prohibiting  the  plantation  of  vines  in  any  colony 
other  than  Chili  or  Peru,  and  restricting  in  every  way 
the  development  of  this  new  world.  Such  was  their 
state  of  bondage  that  the  Americans  petitioned  the 
Spanish  '  cortes  '  in  January  1 8 1 1  for  certain  privileges 
the  very  nature  of  w^hich  portrays  their  enslaved  state. 
Of  the  eleven  propositions  the  following  two  will 
sufiSce  : — "  Secondly,  The  free  natives  and  inhabitants 
of  Spanish  America  shall  be  allowed  to  plant  and  to 
cultivate  whatever  their  climate  will  produce  ;  with 
license  to  encourage  industry,  and  to  promote  manu- 
factures and  arts  in  their  fullest  extent.  Tliirdly, 
Spanish  America  shall  enjoy  the  liberty  of  exporting 
her  own  natural  and  manufactured  productions  to  the 
Peninsula  as  well  as  to  the  allies,  and  to  neutral 
nations  ;  and  of  importing  whatever  she  may  want." 

The  turmoil  and  party  quarrels  consequent  upon 
the  declaration  of  independence  in  the  United  States 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


of  the  River  Plate  in  1810  ;  the  consolidation  of  the 
fourteen  provinces  which  now  formed  the  Argentine 
Confederation ;  the  attention  which  the  political 
evolutions  of  the  country  demanded  from  every 
inhabitant,  kept  the  national  industries  from  receiving 
that  care  and  impulse  which  the  reformed  commercial 
circumstances  of  the  country  justified.  It  must, 
therefore,  be  always  held  in  view  that  the  Spanish 
yoke  until  1810,  and  from  that  year  until  a  com- 
paratively recent  period  the  internal  strife  attendant 
on  the  nationalisation  of  a  vast  country,  were  adverse 
to  the  progress  of  the  breeding  of  sheep  in  a  land  so 
eminently  adapted  for  their  production. 

At  the  time  of  the  conquest  of  Peru  there  already 
existed  a  breed  of  indigenous  sheep,  sufiiciently 
valuable  even  at  that  early  date  to  be  esteemed  by 
the  Incas,  and  appreciated  by  the  conquerors — them- 
selves born  in  a  country  famous  at  all  times  for 
its  fleecy  bleaters.  Prescott  mentions  them  in  his 
History  of  the  Conquest  of  Peru,  and  describes  the 
migrations  of  flocks  under  the  care  of  their  shepherds 
from  one  quarter  of  the  country  to  another  in  a 
manner  similar  to  that  which  obtains  in  Spain  and  is 
regulated  by  the  mesta  code.  These  indigenous  sheep 
were  sheared  once  a  year.  In  1539  the  first  sheep 
were  brought  east  from  beyond  the  Cordilleras  to 
Asuncion  by  Don  Nuflo  Chaves,  and  attracted  the 
attention  of-  the  early  settlers  in  Paraguay.  Don 
Juan  Nunez  del  Prado  invaded  Tucuman  in  1550, 
and  brought  with   him  a  flock  of  sheep  from  Peru. 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDIXG  INDUSTRY 


The  value  of  these  early  importations  was  rapidly 
appreciated,  for  in  1569  Don  Juan  Ortiz  de  Zarate, 
at  that  time  Viceroy  of  the  River  Plate  colonies, 
stipulated,  in  a  convention  celebrated  with  the 
Spanish  Council,  for  the  importation  of  4000  Spanish 
merinos  from  the  mother  country.  He  died  before 
attaining  his  meritorious  object,  but  his  son-in-law, 
Don  Juan  Torres  de  Vera  y  Aragon,  mindful  of  his 
father-in-law's  proposal,  introduced  in  1587  some 
4000  Spanish  sheep  from  Peru,  which  were  dis- 
tributed in  the  Provinces  of  Santa  Fe,  Buenos  Aires, 
and  Corrientes.  These  sheep  were  the  origin  of  the 
countless  thousands  which  wandered  at  sweet  will 
over  the  broad  bosom  of  the  Pampa,  and,  all  uncared- 
for  and  neglected,  multij^lied  and  increased  for  well- 
nigh  two  centuries  and  a  half.  To  those  who  have 
made  the  wearisome  journey  over  the  Cordilleras  to 
Chile,  and  have  seen  those  interminable  stretches  of 
waterless  desert  to  be  found  in  the  north-west  of  the 
Aro-entine,  it  seems  incredible  that  the  adventurous 
spirits  of  the  sixteenth  century  could  have  succeeded 
in  driving  sheep  such  a  distance,  and  through  a 
country  full  of  perils  and  almost  completely  unknown 
to  them.  Such  a  feat,  achieved  in  the  face  of  a 
thousand  dangers,  appears  to-day  an  impossibility  in 
spite  of  railways,  roads,  and  a  country  now  peopled 
with  a  civilised  race.  If  the  tale  of  the  conquest  of 
the  South  American  continent  is  darkened  in  every 
page  with  bloodshed  and  rapine,  it  affords  a  bright 
spot  in  the  narration  of  this  noble  venture  success- 


IX  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


fully  carried  out  by  men  who  may  possibly  have  fore- 
seen that  they  were  laying  the  foundation  of  the 
wealth  of  the  country  they  had  adopted. 

Dr.  Zeballos,  to  whose  valuable  work,  A  Traves 
de  las  Cabanas,  I  am  greatly  indebted  for  information 
regarding  the  early  history  of  sheep  in  the  Argentine 
Re|)ublic,  gives  the  following  description,  illustrative 
of  the  esteem  in  which  mutton  and  wool  were  held  in 
the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth  centuries  : — "  At  this 
time,  about  the  end  of  the  sixteenth  century,  a  sheep 
was  worth  from  six  to  eight  silver  dollars  ;  two  cen- 
turies later  it  was  worth  four  rials,  which  clearly 
j)roves  the  great  increase  in  the  flocks.  During  the 
seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries  sheep  were 
of  no  greater  commercial  importance  than  domestic 
fowls.  The  meat  of  the  lamb  w^as  seldom  consumed 
except  on  holiday  occasions,  being  esteemed  rather 
as  a  birthday  dish,  side  by  side  with  turkeys  and 
chickens ;  for  the  articles  in  general  use  as  food  at 
that  time  were  cereals  and  beef,  the  latter  being  so 
abundant  that  in  the  sixteenth  century  they  calculated, 
perhaps  fantastically,  the  amount  of  cattle  in  the 
country  to  reach  forty-eight  million  head.  The  wool 
was  long,  weak,  and  coarse  ;  the  animals  produced  a 
small  quantity,  sometimes  a  pound  and  a  half,  and 
many  epidemics  attacked  the  flocks  of  the  settlers." 

Wool  was  first  exported  from  the  River  Plate 
so  early  as  the  year  1600,  when  Don  Antonio 
Juan  sailed  for  Europe  with  97  arrohas  (2425 
lbs).     In    the    same     year   Don    Francisco   Gonzalez 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


exported  100  sheep.  From  that  time  up  to  the 
close  of  the  eighteenth  century  there  is  little  re- 
cord of  anything  in  the  annals  of  sheep -breeding 
worthy  of  notice.  Wool  was  occasionally  ex- 
ported, but  in  small  quantities  and  in  a  desultory 
fashion.  This  need  occasion  little  surprise  when  it 
is  remembered  that  Spain  was  the  only  outlet  for 
South  American  production,  and  the  sheep  existing 
in  that  country  were  more  than  sufficient  to  supply 
the  demand  of  the  Spanish  manufactories,  A  heavy 
importation  from  the  River  Plate  would  have 
inevitably  raised  an  outcry  among  the  Peninsula 
sheep-breeders,  who,  being  at  home,  were  better  able 
to  watch  their  interests  than  the  colonists.  Few 
sheep  were  sheared,  and  the  wool  was  employed  in 
making  mattresses.  The  famous  vicuno  ]yonchos 
were  made  from  the  wool  of  the  sheep  of  that 
name,  and  were  highly  esteemed.  Mutton  was  not 
an  article  of  consumption,  the  city  of  Buenos  Aires 
being  almost  entirely  supplied  with  beef  and  veal. 
Those  who  owned  land  and  stock  were  content  to 
watch  their  beeves  multiply,  and  to  breed  horses 
of  the  Spanish  jennet  type;  sheep  were  neglected 
and  despised.  They  were  almost  classed  with  wild 
beasts  and  fowl,  looked  upon  as  public  property,  and 
allowed  to  roam  at  will,  and  increase  or  die  off  as 
the  years  were  clement  or  severe.  The  beginning 
of  the  present  century  found  the  sheep  stock  un- 
bettered  in  quality,  of  a  poor  type,  and  bearing  a 
miserable   fleece.     They    were    of  two    classes :    the 


IX  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


Pampa  sheep,  descended  from  the  mountain  long- 
wool  imported  from  Spain ;  and  the  Criollo, 
descended  from  the  Spanish  merino,  but  so  degene- 
rated as  to  little  resemble  the  latter  in  either  wool 
or  type.  The  Pampa  sheep  was  leggy,  with  a  white 
face,  bare  about  the  neck  and  belly,  sometimes  with 
four  and  even  six  horns,  hardy  and  prolific,  and 
bearing  long  weak  wool  with  no  yoke.  The  Criollo 
was  a  smaller  animal,  many  of  them  black  or  brown, 
thinly  boned,  with  a  shaggy  hairy  growth  on  the 
neck  that  had  the  appearance  of  a  mane,  the  wool 
mixed  with  hair  and  generally  of  a  slaty  or  red 
colour. 

But  the  dawn  of  the  great  sheep  industry  through- 
out the  world  had  broken.     Durino-  the  latter  half 

o 

of  the  eighteenth  century  nearly  every  country  in 
Europe  had  sent  to  Spain  for  the  famous  silken- 
fleeced  merino,  to  improve  the  home  flocks.  France, 
Norway,  and  Holland  were  in  the  van,  and  Germany, 
Eno'land,  Russia,  and  Ireland  soon  followed  the 
example.  The  Batavian  Government  had  sent  some 
fine-woolled  sheep  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  as  early 
as  the  year  1724,  and  again  in  1765  Spanish  merinos 
were  introduced  to  convince  the  Dutch  colonists 
that  a  sood  fleece  was  of  more  value  than  a  fat  tail. 
In  1723  Spanish  merinos  were  imported  into  Sweden, 
and  despite  the  severe  winters  of  that  northern 
country  they  flourished  sufliciently  to  occasion  the 
cessation  of  the  importation  of  wool  from  Spain.  M. 
Daubenton  is  credited  with  having  been  the  first  to 


14  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

introduce  Spanish  merinos  into  France.  He  brought 
sheep  of  that  breed  there  in  1766.  In  1786  400 
selected  merino  ewes  and  rams,  picked  from  the  best 
flocks  of  Castile,  Leon,  and  the  Escurial,  were  imported 
to  France  and  served  to  found  the  famous  Ram- 
bouillet  breed,  which  soon  excelled  in  fleece  and 
type  the  original  stock  whence  it  sprung.  The 
Saxony  merino  was  produced  from  sheep  imported 
there  from  Spain  in  1762.  Finally,  in  the  United 
States,  the  same  desire  to  improve  the  sheep  of  the 
country  by  the  introduction  of  the  best-woolled  stock 
was  awakened ;  Col.  Humphries  and  Mr.  Livingston 
being  mainly  instrumental  in  importing  the  deservedly 
popular  merino.  Mr.  Livingston  has  written  an 
interesting  monograph  on  the  introduction  and 
propagation  of  merinos  in  the  United  States  of 
America  which  was  printed  by  order  of  the  Legis- 
lature of  New  York  in  1809.  He  describes  the 
purchase  of  the  first  merino  sheep  which  he  obtained 
in  France,  as  follows  : — "  I  selected  two  pair  of  the 
finest  Merinos  I  could  find,  and  sent  them  over 
under  the  care  of  one  of  my  own  servants,  intending 
to  follow  them  by  others.  They  arrived  in  safety 
in  the  Spring  of  1802,  and  were,  I  believe,  the 
first  couples  ever  imported  into  the  United  States." 

It  is  curious  to  note  that  the  two  great  sheep 
countries  of  the  world,  viz.  the  Eiver  Plate  and 
Australia,  introduced  the  improved  Spanish  merino 
at  the  same  date ;  and  this  coincidence  is  not  isolated 
to   one  particular  case,  but  will  be  found  to  repeat 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  15 

itself  in  other  improvemeuts  developed  simultaneously 
in  both  countries.  In  1794,  the  same  year  in  which 
Captain  Waterhouse  imported  Spanish  merinos  into 
New  South  Wales  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope, 
Don  Manuel  Jose  de  Labarden  imported  10  rams 
and  20  ewes  from  Spain  to  the  Banda  Oriental, 
now  the  Uruguayan  Republic,  but  at  that  time 
one  of  the  Provinces  of  the  River  Plate  Viceroyalty. 
Less  fortunate  than  his  Australian  contemporary,  he 
appears  to  have  lost  these  animals,  for  there  is  no 
trace  of  them  to  be  found  in  the  annals  of  the  sheep 
history  of  the  River  Plate. 

Colonel  Gordon,  who  had  successfully  introduced 
merinos  in  1785  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  had  estab- 
lished a  breed  there  which  served  as  a  parent  stock  to 
provide  Australia.  Thus  in  1797  we  find  Captain 
MacArthur  already  an  enthusiastic  breeder  in  New 
South  Wales,  and  by  1803  the  proud  owner  of  up- 
wards of  4000  merino  cross-bred  sheep.  It  was 
at  this  latter  date  that  Mr.  Livingston  had  intro- 
duced the  Spanish  merino  into  North  America ;  and 
though  they  met  with  a  cold  reception  there,  and  were 
little  held  in  favour,  the  great  wool-]3roducing  sheep 
of  the  world  soon  established  a  foothold,  and  by  the 
year  1 8 1 0  it  had  found  many  supporters  in  the  United 
States.  The  increasing  popularity  of  the  merino  in 
every  sheep  country  again  drew  the  attention  of 
residents  in  the  River  Plate,  and  in  1813  Mr.  Henry 
Lloyd  Halsay  imported  100  merino  ewes,  and  so 
founded   the    first    fine-woolled   merino  flock  in  the 


i6  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

province  of  Buenos  Aires.  This  valuable  flock  throve 
apace  under  the  skilled  charge  of  its  shepherd,  a 
German  named  Dwerhagen,  and  increased  to  the 
number  of  900.  Unfortunately,  owing  to  the 
burning  of  a  thistle  field,  the  greater  part  of  this 
flock  was  lost ;  and  subsequent  losses  so  disheartened 
the  owner,  Mr.  Halsay,  who  saw  the  impossibility,  in 
the  perturbed  state  of  the  country,  to  continue  stock- 
breeding  with  any  success,  that  he  handed  over  the 
remaining  sheep  to  their  faithful  shepherd  Dwerhagen, 
who  now  became  their  owner.  The  never-ending 
strife  consequent  on  the  declaration  of  independence 
in  a  country  still  in  her  infancy,  the  constant  drain 
upon  the  inhabitants,  all  of  whom  took  an  active  part 
in  the  political  disturbances,  rendered  it  impossible 
for  thinking  men  to  devote  much  time  to  pastoral 
interests,  however  cognisant  they  may  have  been  of 
their  importance.  It  was  not  until  1824  that  a  new 
eff"ort  was  made  to  propagate  the  valuable  merino 
breed  in  the  country.  By  this  time  other  countries 
had  shot  ahead,  though  their  prospects  had  never  been 
so  favourable  as  those  of  the  River  Plate  Provinces, 
nor  could  they  boast  of  equal  natural  facilities  for 
sheep-breediug.  Spanish  merinos  had  been  intro- 
duced into  India  with  moderate  success,  and  had 
done  w^ell  when  crossed  with  the  native  Patna  breed. 
In  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  the  fine -wools  had  mul- 
tiplied, and  in  1821  the  export  reached  20,000  lbs., 
worth  from  4s.  6d.  to  5s.  per  pound,  though  at 
that    date    the  coarse-woolled  fiit-tails  were  left  un- 


IN  THE  ARGExNTINE  REPUBLIC  17 

shorn.  The  success  of  private  enterprise  in  Australica 
had  at  last  fired  the  over-cautious  English,  and  a 
Company  upon  a  large  scale  was  formed  and  its  effect 
felt  in  the  Antipodes,  where  the  sheep  rose  in  1824 
to  the  fabulous  price  of  £5  each.  More  patriotic  was 
the  Company  formed  the  same  year  in  Buenos  Aires 
by  Senores  Don  Juan  Pedro  Aguirre,  Don  Manuel 
Jose  Haedo,  and  Don  Jose  Maria  Roxas,  who  bought 
the  Halsay  flock,  then  numbering  400  odd,  from 
the  shepherd  Dwerhagen  at  $10  per  head.  A 
portion  of  this  flock  was  sent  up  the  River  Parana 
to  Corrientes  under  the  charge  of  their  faithful  Ger- 
man shepherd,  but  the  climate  was  not  propitious,  and 
they  soon  died  off".  The  remainder,  left  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  the  city  of  Buenos  Aires,  thrived  and 
increased  rapidly  until  1828.  This  year  was  marked 
with  the  Lavalle-Rosas  revolution,  and  the  country 
was  again  plunged  into  the  turmoil  of  civil  war. 

In  the  meantime  other  names  had  appeared  on  the 
scene.  In  the  year  1825  Doctor  Don  Bernardino 
Rivadavia  introduced  30  South  Down  sheep.  These 
were  the  years  when  the  Babraham  flock  and  other 
historical  black -faced  studs  had  acquired  notoriety, 
and  the  far-seeing  Argentine  patriot  aspired  to  im- 
prove the  type  of  the  native  sheep  by  crossing  them 
with  Downs.  These  black-faces  were  a  success,  and 
were  the  progenitors  of  the  famous  South  Down  stock 
of  Don  Leonardo  Pereyra,  who  to  the  present  day  is 
an  extensive  breeder  of  this  class  of  sheep. 

The  merino  stock  imported  into  the  country  not 

c 


i8  THE  SHEEP-BREEDINX  INDUSTRY 

only  thrived  apace,  but  the  offspring  developed  into  a 
type  superior  to  that  of  the  animals  first  imported. 
Messrs.  Harratt  and  Sheridan  associated  with  Mr. 
Whitfield,  all  three  British  residents,  founded  a  new 
merino  stud  flock  destined  to  become  the  most  famous 
of  its  day.  They  purchased  a  lot  imported  by  Doctor 
Rivadavia,  and  themselves  introduced  from  Europe 
some  supplementary  shipments.  At  that  time  the 
port  of  Buenos  Aires  was  blockaded  by  the  French, 
and  more  than  one  precious  load  of  merinos  was  dis- 
charged under  the  guns  of  the  hostile  fleet.  This 
stud  flock  was  placed  under  the  charge  of  IVIr.  John 
Hannah,  a  name  as  closely  associated  with  the  sheep 
industry  in  the  Argentine  as  is  that  of  Captain  Mac- 
Arthur  in  Australia.  The  name  of  the  stud  farm  was 
"  Los  Galpones,"  and  here  breeding  was  carried  on  in 
a  scientific  and  systematic  manner  under  the  capable' 
administration  of  Mr.  Hannah.  The  revolution  of 
1828  caused  the  dispersion  of  the  Halsay  flock,  and 
though  again  reunited,  it  was  again  dispersed  during 
a  subsequent  revolt;  and  the  owners,  Senores  Aguirre, 
Haedo,  and  Roxas,  weary  of  so  many  reverses,  gave 
the  remnants  of  the  flock  to  various  friends.  These 
stray  handfuls  were  the  origin  of  several  famous  studs 
or  cahanas,  some  of  which  can  still  be  traced  directly 
to  the  Halsay  blood. 

It  has  been  stated  that  the  Dutch  colonists  at  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope  did  not  shear  the  fat-tailed  sheep  in 
those  early  years.  But  in  no  country  was  there  such 
an  abandonment  manifest  as  in  the  Argentine  Republic. 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  19 

The  gaucho,  the  native  labourer  of  the  Pampas,  con- 
sidered it  beneath  him  to  eat  mutton,  and  made  his 
daily  meal  of  the  ribs  of  some  tough  steer,  the  meat 
impaled  upon  an  iron  spit  and  roasted  over  the  fire. 
Frequently  the  hide  was  not  removed  from  the  carcase, 
but  both  meat  and  skin  were  charred  upon  the  embers 
of  decaying  bones  and  such  unwholesome  fuel.  This 
form  of  cooking  the  beef,  called  cayme  con  cuero,  when 
so  prepared,  is  still  greatly  esteemed  by  the  commoner 
classes  of  the  Argentines,  and  certainly  renders  the 
beef  more  juicy  than  any  other  mode  of  roasting  it. 
The  huge  flocks  were  allowed  to  wander  unshepherded. 
The  wool  was  never  sheared  from  their  backs.  In 
one  case,  well  authenticated  by  the  author,  the  sheep 
were  deemed  too  numerous,  and  were  driven  to  the 
seaside,  where  a  portion  were  precipitated  over  the 
cliffs  into  the  sea,  thus  reducing  the  flock  to  what  was 
considered  a  convenient  number.  In  many  runs,  or 
estancias,  a  flock  was  kept  in  case  of  need,  to  provide 
mutton  for  the  consumption  of  the  homestead.  These 
flocks  were  neither  shepherded,  mustered,  nor  tallied. 
If  at  any  time,  through  the  unexpected  arrival  of  a 
stranger,  meat  was  required,  and  there  was  no  oppor- 
tunity for  procuring  beef,  a  hind  was  sent  out  to  lasso 
and  bring  in  a  sheep.  He  would  sometimes  be  absent 
for  hours  in  search  of  the  flock,  and  return  to  announce 
that  it  was  lost  altoojether. 

The  cross  between  the  new  imported  merino  and 
the  native  criollo  sheep  was  termed  a  mestizo,  and 
this  term  prevails  to-day,  and  is  specially  applied  to 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


the  fine-woolled  sheep  of  the  merino  type,  to  distin- 
guish  them  from  the  lonoi-woolled  crosses  which  have 
been  subsequently  introduced  through  the  importation 
of  Lincoln  and  other  lonoj-woolled  Eno-lish  breeds. 
These  flocks  of  mestizos  were  exposed  to  many  dangers, 
and  led  a  precarious  life  in  the  early  days  of  sheep- 
breedino'.  Not  the  least  of  their  enemies  was  the 
cimarron,  a  wild  dog  descended  from  the  domestic 
curs  which  abounded  everywhere ;  these  cimarrones 
hunted  in  packs  and  w^ere  at  times  even  known  to 
drag  a  boy  from  his  horse  and  devour  him.  At  the 
stock  farm  "  Los  Yngieses,"  the  property  of  the 
author's  family,  there  exists  a  record  of  the  extermi- 
natino-  war  carried  on  against  these  wild  dosjs.  Over 
two  thousand  were  killed,  and  the  premium  ofi'ered 
per  head  was  85,  at  that  time  equal  to  about 
Is.  8d.  English  currency.  The  grasses  were  greatly 
destroyed  by  the  hizcacha  {Lagostomus  tnchodac- 
tylus),  a  species  of  prairie  dog  which  undermined 
the  ground  in  every  direction.  The  destruction 
of  this  animal  has  of  late  years  been  enforced  by 
law,  and  the  hizcacha  has  nearly  become  extinct. 
The  habitat  of  the  animal  assisted  the  measures 
taken  for  eradicating  them.  Several  holes  lead  to 
one  common  chamber,  and  in  this  burrow  lives  a 
colony  of  from  six  up  to  sixty  or  seventy  hizcachas. 
All  the  holes  of  a  colony  would  be  earthed  up  except 
one,  and  into  this  one  was  introduced  a  long  iron  tube. 
This  tube  was  connected  with  a  smoking  machine,  in 
which  a  fire  made  of  sulphur,  old  leather,  etc.,  was 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


fanned  by  powerful  bellows.  The  thick  smoke  de- 
scended into  the  burrow  and  suffocated  the  animals. 
After  pumping  smoke  into  the  colony  for  two  hours 
or  so,  the  tube  was  withdrawn  and  the  hole  earthed  up. 
As  the  instinct  of  the  hizcacha  is  to  burrow  inwards 
and  never  outwards,  there  was  no  chance  of  any  sur- 
vivor escaping,  unless  some  stray  fellow  from  the 
outside  came  to  release  him.  The  extermination  of 
the  animal  was  therefore  a  much  easier  matter  to  deal 
with  than  the  rabbit  plague  in  Australia. 

The  wool  was  greatly  deteriorated  by  the  big- 
burr,  ahrojo  grande,  which  abounded  in  great  quan- 
tities. And  continually  there  was  the  danger  of 
having  the  most  valuable  sheep  destroyed  by  lawless 
marauders,  who  took  advantage  of  the  troublesome 
times  to  destroy  and  steal  wherever  they  thought  fit. 
Thus,  as  in  other  countries,  the  introduction  of  sheep- 
breeding  was  attended  with  many  reverses,  and 
carried  out  in  the  face  of  innumerable  obstacles. 

The  revolution  of  1828  found  the  neighbourhood 
of  Buenos  Aires  well  stocked  with  Spanish  merinos 
and  mestizos  ;  and  in  spite  of  the  disturbances  w^hich 
then  ensued,  the  flocks  continued  to  prosper.  By  the 
year  1832,  the  very  time  when  the  value  of  merino 
stock  in  Australia  had  fallen  from  the  high  prices  of 
1825-27  dow^n  to  a  price  so  low  as  to  almost  beggar 
the  breeder,  the  demand  for  merinos  in  the  Argentine 
had  become  general.  Every  one  went  to  the  Harratt- 
Sheridan  stud  to  buy,  and  in  one  year  the  ow^ners  are 
stated  to  have  sold  ,£14,000  worth  of  rams.     Breeding 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


went  on  briskly  until  1837,  when  tlie  country  was  again 
convulsed  with  civil  war,  and  fell  under  the  dictator- 
ship of  Don  Juan  Manuel  Rosas.  Between  the  years 
1836  and  1838,  4200  merino  sheep  are  said  to  have 
been  imported.  In  1836  the  improved  merino  from 
the  Electorate  of  Saxony  was  introduced,  and  in  1838 
Mr.  Sheridan  imported  the  first  lot  of  German  Negrettis. 
This  breed,  mth  its  ultra-fine  wool,  attracted  great 
attention  at  the  time,  and  many  polemics  were  sus- 
tained between  rival  breeders  upon  the  advantages 
and  disadvantages  of  the  production  of  a  race  so  deli- 
cate in  constitution,  and  bearing  such  extraordinarily 
fine  wool.  The  German  shepherds  who  accompanied 
these  imported  sheep  are  said  to  have  been  aston- 
ished at  the  size  attained  by  the  merino  stock  of  the 
country,  which  far  exceeded  that  of  the  European 
animal.  The  Harratt- Sheridan  flock  at  that  time 
produced  sheep  giving  6  and  7  lbs.,  and  rams  giving 
1 0  and  1 2  lbs.  of  washed  wool. 

In  a  deed  of  sale  dated  3rd  August  1826,  I  find 
the  mention  of  sheep  and  their  price  quoted,  the 
latter  being  six  rials  per  head,  which  at  the  rate  of 
exchange  of  that  year  was  equal  to  about  2s. — a 
somewhat  high  figure  in  those  days  for  ordinary 
criollo  stock.  It  is  interestino-  to  note  in  the  inven- 
tory  what  comprised  the  stock-in-trade  of  an  estancia 
or  cattle  farm ;  and  I  quote  the  deed  verbatim — 

"  Five  thousand  head  of  cattle,  including  all  that  walk. 
Two  hundred  horses  and  mares,  including  all  that  walk. 
Fifteen  hundred  sheep,  including  all  that  are  marked. 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


Two  slaves  useful  for  horsebreaking. 
Eight  hundred  hard  wood  posts. 
A  peach  wood,  as  well  as  other  trees. 
A  paddock  with  a  double  ditch. 

Fortifications,  including  a  fosse,  with  two  mounted  cannon, 
and  several  guns  and  blunderbusses. 

A  bullock  cart,  a  dwelling-house  and  furniture." 

The  area  of  this  estate  was  5  square  leagues,  equal  to 
33,360  acres,  so  that  even  then  it  may  be  considered 
to  have  carried  a  fair  quantity  of  stock. 

The  history  of  the  formation  of  the  first  mestizo 
flock  at  "  Los  Yngieses,"  at  a  time  when  the  estate 
was  far  outside  the  frontier,  has  been  gathered  by 
the  writer  from  private  correspondence  in  his  hands, 
and  gives  some  idea  of  the  difficulties  attending 
pastoral  enterprise  at  that  early  date.  From  1825 
there  had  existed  a  cjuantity  of  criollo  sheep  upon 
the  estate,  but  one  of  the  owners,  Mr.  George  Gibson, 
determined  to  improve  their  quality.  In  writing  to 
his  brother  on  1st  December  1834  he  says  : — "  I  have 
resolved  to  obtain  this  summer  20  or  30  merino 
rams.  We  will  part  ofi"  all  the  best  ^vhite  ewes, 
and  buy  as  many  more  as  make  up  800  or  1000. 
This  stock,  with  the  number  of  merino  rams  that 
may  be  necessary,  will  be  kept  entirely  apart,  so  as 
to  form  in  two  or  three  years  a  fine  and  valuable  and 
large  flock  of  merino  sheep."  In  a  subsequent  letter 
dated  18th  February  1835  the  same  writer  says: — 
"  Yesterday  I  went  to  the  alharcUn  mentioned  by 
Dr.  Ricardo  (Newton)  as  well  suited  for  a  flock  of 
merino  sheep.      I  suppose  you  know  that  an  '  albar- 


24  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

ddn'  means  a  strip  of  land  somewliat  higher  than 
that  immediately  adjoining  it.  This  one  would  be  a 
capital  place  for  sheep ;  it  is  almost  surrounded  with 
impassable  marshes  (at  least  impassable  at  all  times 
for  sheep),  so  that  it  forms  a  kind  of  natural  enclo- 
sure, the  only  exit  being  in  the  direction  of  the 
houses,  from  which  it  is  not  distant  more  than  a 
quarter  of  an  hour's  ride.  I  wish  very  much  to  com- 
mence the  formation  of  a  flock  on  this  place  imme- 
diately. I  am  persuaded  that  those  who  neglect  to 
form  flocks  now  will  afterwards  regret  it,  and  wonder 
how  they  can  have  so  long  remained  with  their  eyes 
shut.  From  the  flock  of  sheep  we  now  have  we  will 
be  able  to  pick  out  from  300  to  400  ivhite  ewes.  I 
will  buy  500  more  ewes,  or  rather  exchange  calves 
for  them.  I  had  much  rather  pay  the  money,  but 
the  owner  prefers  an  exchange,  and  he  is  the  only 
person  in  this  vicinity  who  owns  sheep.  I  think  I 
might  be  able  to  get  500  picked  ewes  for  100  calves 
of  from  six  to  seven  months  old,  which  is  valuing  the 
latter  at  $15,^  and  the  ewes  at  $3.^  I  would  j)refer 
this  to  buying  sheep  '  by  the  cut '  at  $2."  ^  This  was 
how  the  merino  rams  were  to  be  brought  : — The  local 
manager  was  to  go  to  Buenos  Aires  with  men  and 
oxen ;  he  was  to  buy  four  bullock  carts  and  return 
from  town  to  Mr.  Sheridan's  place.  Here  he  was  to 
receive  50  merino  rams  and  bring  them  in  the  carts 
to  the  "  Los  Yngleses,"  a  distance  of  about  140  miles 
through  swamp  and  bog  land  most  of  the  way.     This 

1  7s.  6(1.  -  Is.  6(1.  3  Is. 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  25 

was,  however,  accomplished,  and  the  new  flock  formed. 
In  a  letter  written  by  Mr.  Eobert  T.  Gibson,  dated 
9th  December  1836,  the  mestizo  flock  is  thus  described: 
— "  A  large  proportion  of  the  increase  in  the  mestizo 
m,eHno  flock  are  males,  I  should  think  at  least  two- 
thirds.  In  the  quality  also  of  the  wool  there  is  a 
great  difi"erence,  some  of  the  fleeces  being  wonderfully 
improved,  and  others  little  better  than  the  common 
wool.  The  number  of  sheep  shorn  in  this  flock  is 
815,  giving  an  increase  of  about  150  females  from 
ten  to  twelve  months  old,  and  of  these  about  40 
are  fair  mestizas.  I  have  drafted  the  males  to 
another  flock.  The  20  remaining  rams  have  given 
this  year  about  six  arrobas  of  wool,  or  say  7^ 
lbs.  per  fleece.  The  weight  of  a  fleece  of  common 
wool  I  found  last  year  to  be  from  2 J  to  3  lbs. 
at  the  most."  A  year  later,  viz.  2nd  November 
1837,  the  same  writer  says  : — "  The  sheep  get  on  well, 
thousch  I  find  that  thev  do  not  refine  in  tlie  wool  so 
fast  as  they  ought  naturally  to  do,  many  of  the  mes- 
tiza  ewes  having  lambs  much  coarser  in  the  wool  than 
themselves  !  This  I  attribute  to  their  being  covered 
by  their  fathers  instead  of  by  other  rams,  in  which 
case  they  are  said  to  degenerate,  or  at  all  events  to 
improve  very  slowly  in  the  quality  of  the  wool.  I 
purpose  buying  ten  of  Sheridan's  rams,  which  are 
much  finer  than  those  we  bought  off"  Harratt.  When 
these  arrive  I  purpose  selecting  all  the  best  mestiza 
ewes  and  making  a  new  flock  for  them."  Thus  barely 
three  years  after  the  acquisition  of  the  first  merino 


J 


26  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

rams  a  flock  composed  entirely  of  merino-cross  sheep 
was  formed. 

The  local  price  paid  for  wool  was  not  encouraging. 
Taking  an  average  for  the  years  1838,  1839,  and  1840, 
I  find  that  the  general  figure  in  the  Buenos  Aires 
market  was  as  follows  : — Criollo  wool,  washed,  l^d. 
per  lb.  ;  mestiza  wool,  washed,  2jd.  to  3d.  per  lb. ; 
merino  wool,  washed,  7d.  to  9d.  per  lb.  Messrs. 
Harratt  and  Sheridan  sold  their  rams  at  that  time  at 
from  £2  :  10s.  to  £5  each.  I  find  a  note  of  a  sale  of 
wethers  in  1839  at  3s.  6d.  each.  These  prices  are 
calculated,  taking  into  account  the  fluctuations  of  the 
paper  currency.  In  1826  the  dollar  was  worth  3s.  8d. ; 
by  1829  it  had  fallen  to  7jd.  In  1836  it  was  down 
to  6d.,  and  in  1839  it  was  at  3d.  Mr.  Mulhall,  in 
his  Handbook  of  the  River  Plate,  gives  these  quota- 
tions, and  I  have  had  opportunity  to  verify  them 
from  other  sources. 

The  appearance  of  the  expansive  pasture  lands  of 
the  Eiver  Plate  in  the  early  years  of  stock-breeding- 
must  have  been  one  calculated  to  fire  the  British 
emigrant's  heart  with  enthusiasm.  On  every  side 
there  stretched  the  same  rich  undulating  prairie, 
covered  with  grasses  of  the  best  description,  and 
unbroken  from  horizon  to  horizon  by  a  single  tree  or 
shrub.  It  is  thus  described  by  one  whose  experience 
went  back  to  the  first  years  of  merino-breeding  : — 
"  In  December  1839  I  recollect  riding  from  the 
Head  Station  to  the  Port,  a  distance  of  7  or  8  miles, 
through  a  sea   of  grass    2j  feet  high.       My  boots. 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


soaked  by  the  dew  brushed  off  the  tall  grass,  were  as 
wet  as  though  I  had  been  riding  through  the  River 
Plate,  This  was  at  a  time  when  our  place  was  carry- 
ing the  full  complement  of  stock." 

But,  even  for  those  who  appreciated  the  great 
pastoral  future  of  the  country,  it  was  a  difficult 
matter  to  promote  sheep-breeding.  The  land  was 
full  of  civil  war;  labourers  could  not  be  obtained,  y 
they  w^ere  all  enrolled  in  the  National  Guard,  and 
were  under  active  service  ;  stations  were  constantly 
invaded  by  detachments  of  Government  troops 
scouring  the  country  in  search  of  revolutionists. 
The  following  incident,  described  by  the  authors 
father,  Mr.  Thomas  Gibson,  gives  an  idea  of  one  of 
the  many  vicissitudes  besetting  the  pioneers  of  the 
sheep-breeding  industry  in  the  country.  "In  1830 
there  was  an  ill-timed  rising  in  the  south  against  the 
Dictator  Eosas.  The  insurgents  gave  battle  in 
Chascomus,  and,  being  defeated,  retreated  to  the 
coast  and  encamped  upon  our  place.  Here  they 
remained  three  or  four  days,  getting  or  taking  over 
40  steers  per  diem.  Report  reached  them  that 
the  Government  army  was  on  their  track,  and  they 
moved  on  to  Ajd  creek,  whence  they  embarked  for 
Monte  Video.  We,  however,  anticipating  an  action 
and  all  its  consequent  disorders,  left  the  head  station 
by  night  and  travelled  down  to  an  isolated  corner  of 
the  estancia,  taking  with  us  a  bullock  cart  which 
served  as  house  and  store-room.  A  few  days  later 
we  heard  of  the  flioht  of  the  insurgent  army,  and 


28  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

returned  to  the  head  station.  On  the  same  after- 
noon the  whole  eastern  horizon  became  serrated  by 
the  Government  army,  3200  strong,  including  400 
Indians,  the  infantry  of  course  mounted ;  they 
brought  immense  troops  of  spare  horses,  and  had  one 
or  two  pieces  of  artillery.  The  General,  Don 
Prudencia  Rosas,  and  his  staff,  accepted  the  offer 
of  our  house,  and  the  army  encamped  about  the 
steading.  They  slaughtered  120  steers  upon  arrival, 
the  General  apologising  for  not  being  able  to  save  the 
hides,  as  the  soldiers  needed  came  con  cuero  on  the 
successful  termination  of  the  campaign.  They 
remained  with  us  two  or  three  days,  consuming  over 
60  steers  per  diem."  Similar  occurrences  could  be 
narrated  of  every  one  of  the  first  stock  farms  in  the 
Argentine. 

The  introduction  of  scab  into  the  Argentine  is 
generally  attributed  to  a  lot  of  German  merinos 
imported  in  1838.  Dr.  Zeballos  points  out  that  this 
disease  was  known  to  exist  at  the  time  of  the 
Conquest,  and  was  called  "  curii'' ^  by  the  Quichua 
Indians,  who  had  a  treatment  for  it.  This  is 
probably  the  case,  for  Montoya,  whose  dictionary  of 
the  Guarani-Tupi  language  was  first  published  in 
1639,  is  very  definite  in  his  interpretation  of  the 
word  cu7ni,  which  he  translates  rona,  the  Spanish 
name  for  the  scab  peculiar  to  sheep.  Again,  in  the 
Spanish-Tupi  section  of  his  dictionary,  he  translates 
rona  by  curu;  pitai.     The  Guarani  word  mhitai,  or, 

^  "  C'uni  =  sea.h,  sheep-scab"  (Montoya,  Did.  of  Guarani-Tupi). 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  29 


as  it  is  generally  spelt,  p?V«/,  may  be  literally 
translated  an  irritation  or  biting  of  the  skin,  which 
would  appear  to  refer  directly  to  the  ravages  of  the 
acarus.  It  is  very  likely,  therefore,  that  scab  has 
existed  in  this  country  at  all  times,  becoming  more 
epidemic  and  contagious  in  its  character  as  the 
improvement  in  stock  led  to  enclosing  the  sheep  and 
keeping  them  more  in  contact  with  one  another. 
The  humidity  of  the  climate  lends  itself  especially  to 
the  procreation  of  the  acari,  and  to  suggest  that  the 
disease  originated  through  the  introduction  of  one 
small  lot  of  contaminated  sheep  is  to  seek  to  reduce 
the  cause  to  too  narrow  limits.  So  lonof  as  no 
attempt  was  made  to  improve  the  stock,  and  the 
sheep  were  allowed  to  wander  in  a  semi- wild  state, 
the  disease  did  not  spread  much  ;  but  when  the  sheep 
were  tended  in  smaller  flocks,  driven  to  and  from 
the  steading  in  a  crowd,  yarded,  and  frequently 
handled,  contagion  soon  multiplied  the  acari.  This 
is  the  most  probable  explanation  of  the  rapid  develop- 
ment of  the  disease  about  1838. 

The  exportation  of  wool  had  now  become  a 
considerable  item  in  the  national  income.  Never- 
theless, the  majority  of  owners  of  sheep  of  the  poorer 
sorts  left  them  unshorn.  Others,  more  enterprising, 
purchased  the  right  of  shearing,  paying  from  3d. 
to  4d.  per  head.  In  such  cases  they  did  not 
shear  every  sheep,  but  selected  the  biggest  and 
best,  and  even  these  were  not  entirely  shorn,  the 
belly  wool  being  left  as  worthless.     It  was  well  on  to 


30  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

J  1860  before  shearing  became  an  annual  and  general 
operation  throughout  the  country.  This  apparent 
abandonment  should  not,  however,  be  entirely- 
attributed  to  ignorance  or  negligence.  Up  to  1854 
the  country  was  under  the  dictatorship  of  Eosas. 
Every  able-bodied  man  was  taken  to  serve  in  the 
army,  and  stock  of  all  descriptions  were  neglected 
and  ran  wild.  The  cattle  became  alzada,  and 
gathering  in  mobs,  scoured  the  country,  particularly 
along  the  sea-line,  growing  as  savage  and  un- 
manageable as  the  wild  cattle  of  Australia  were  at 
the  beginning  of  this  century.  Prohibitive  duties 
and  taxes  deterred  the  breeder  from  collecting  his 
^  produce  and  remitting  it  to  the  foreign  markets.  For 
several  years  the  port  of  Buenos  Aires  was  blockaded 
by  the  French,  and  export  was  impossible,  or 
extremely  difficult.  Again,  Rosas  had  prohibited 
the  exportation  of  grease,  thereby  sapping  an 
important  export.  It  is  due  to  this  long  period  of 
stao^nation  and  internal  trouble  that  the  Arsjentine 
Republic  fell  behind  her  rivals  North  America  and 
Australia,  instead  of  taking,  as  she  should  have  done, 
a  first  rank. 

By  1842  the  great  increase  of  stock  in  Australia 
had  brought  down  the  value  of  sheep  in  that 
country  to  Is.  or  less  per  head.  Ruination 
appeared  to  be  staring  the  breeders  in  the  face.  The 
price  of  tallow  in  Europe  at  that  period  varied  from 
40s.  to  65s.  per  hundredweight,  and  in  1843 
the   industry   of  boiling    down   fat    sheep   for  their 


IN  THE  ARGENTIiNE  REPUBLIC  31 


hides,  grease,  bone,  and  glue,  was  inaugurated.  As 
usual,  there  was  not  wanting  the  ubiquitous  false 
prophet  who  foresaw  in  this  trade  the  destruction 
of  all  the  better  stock,  and  the  ruin  of  the 
sheep  industry.  But  common-sense  prevailed,  and 
farmers  soon  found  their  exchequers  replenished, 
and  their  overcrowded  lands  relieved  of  the  surjDlus 
stock.  "Whether  it  was  again  coincidence,  or 
whether  the  price  of  tallow  had  attracted  attention 
in  both  countries  simultaneously,  it  is  impossible  to 
ascertain ;  but  the  boiling-down  trade  was  started  in 
the  Ai'gentine  Republic  in  the  same  month  and  year 
as  it  was  in  Australia.  In  1843  Mr.  Robert  T. 
Gibson,  of  the  firm  of  Gibson  Brothers,  obtained 
permission  from  Government  to  establish  a  boiling- 
down  factory  in  their  estancia  "  Los  Yngieses." 
Rapidly  the  trade  increased,  and  in  nearly  every 
small  town  one  or  more  of  these  boilino- -  down 
fahricas,  as  they  were  called,  was  founded.  These 
establishments  both  bought  stock,  and  killed  ujDon 
commission  on  account  of  the  breeders.  The 
value  of  a  fat  sheep  rose  to  6s.  and  7s.  6d. 
Again  the  hand  of  the  Dictator  Rosas  fell 
heavily  upon  the  new  budding  industry.  In 
1847  Governor  Rosas  troops  were  besieging  Monte 
Video,  and  death  had  been  decreed  to  any  one  send- 
ing provisions  to  that  city.  A  shipment  of  pipes 
had  been  sent  from  the  Tuyu  district  to  Monte  Video 
for  transhipment  there,  and  through  some  overlook 
the  word   Seho  had  been  used  in  taking  the  permit 


32  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

instead  of  the  word  graza.  The  latter  word  was  the 
one  recognised  to  signify  the  tallow  exported  to 
Europe,  and  useless  for  cooking  purposes ;  the  former, 
though  strictly  speaking  the  correct  one  for  tallow, 
was  determined  to  mean  fat  suitable  for  eating- 
purposes.  This  was  sufficient.  An  order  was  issued, 
and  the  unfortunate  shipper,  Mr.  Thomas  Gibson, 
was  hurried  off",  a  prisoner,  to  Buenos  Aires.  Through 
the  kindly  offices  of  Don  Gervacio  Kosas,  a  brother 
of  the  Dictator,  and  other  friends,  the  prisoner  was 
released  a  few  days  after  arrival.  It  could  scarcely 
be  expected  in  such  perilous  times,  when  the  acci- 
dental use  of  a  word  might  be  sufficient  to  cost  a 
man  his  life,  that  any  industry  would  flourish  and 
increase.  In  the  official  permit  given  to  Gibson 
Brothers  in  1848  to  continue  the  business  of  boiling 
down  fat  stock,  there  figured  the  following  clause  : — 
"And  this  is  with  the  express  condition  that  this 
work  shall  not  be  administrated  nor  served  by  any 
person  or  persons  who  are  savage  Unitarians."  The 
savages  here  alluded  to  were  those  whose  political 
creed  diff'ered  from  that  of  Rosas.  All  documents 
public  or  private,  all  letters,  notes,  communications 
of  every  description,  everything  in  short  either 
written  or  printed  in  the  Argentine  Eepublic 
durino"  the  Dictatorship  of  Rosas,  had  to  be 
headed  with  the  following  generous,  fraternal,  and 
republican  inscription,  written  in  bold  characters 
at  the  head  of  the  page  :  "  Viva  la  Federacion 
Argentina!  Mueran  los  Salvages  Unitarios" :  which. 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  33 

being  interpreted,  means :  Long  live  the  Argentine 
Federation  !     Death  to  the  Savaore  Unitarians  ! 

o 

In  1858  the  protection  tariff  of  the  United  States 
occasioned  a  heavy  fall  in  wool  and  stock.  This 
fostered  the  boiling  -  down  industry,  which  now 
took  gigantic  proportions.  Sheep  w^ere  reduced  in 
value  to  Is.  or  Is.  4d.  In  1867  1,300,000 
head  were  disposed  of  in  the  grease  factories ; 
and  in  1872,  over  3,000,000  went  into  the 
boilers.  Wool  feU  to  2|d.  per  lb.  in  1867. 
These  were  discouraging  times  for  the  sheep- 
breeder,  but  the  steady  slaughtering  of  sheep 
was  destined  to  have  a  beneficial  effect  upon  the 
future.  The  inferior  stock  was  all  killed  off,  and 
farmers  had  a  golden  opportunity  for  weeding  their 
flocks,  of  which  the  majority  availed  themselves. 
This  selection  of  the  fittest  was  bound  to  have  its 
effect,  and  by  1866  the  improvement  in  the  wool 
exported  was  noticed  and  commented  upon  in  the 
European  market.  Argentine  merino  wools  were  in 
great  demand  in  Germany.  In  1857  the  Eam- 
bouillet  sheep  had  been  crossed  successfully  with  the 
mestizo  Negretti,  and  the  result  was  a  larger  sheep, 
producing  a  medium  fine  quality  of  wool.  Men  of 
education  and  capacity  had  taken  up  the  sheep- 
breeding  industry.  Foremost  in  the  ranks  of  the 
great  Argentine  breeders  comes  Don  Domingo  Olivera, 
who  acquired  one  of  the  scattered  remnants  of  the 
famous  Halsay  flock  in  1835.  His  place  was  worthily 
filled  by  his  son,  Don  Eduardo  Olivera,  who  has  done 

D 


y 


34  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

much  to  promote  the  breeding  of  merino  sheep  in 
this  country,  and  whose  works  on  the  subject  are 
authoritative  in  all  that  refers  to  the  science  of  fine- 
wool  breeding.  Seiior  Plomer  was  another  pioneer, 
and  the  famous  Plomer  breed  dates  back  to  1838. 
The  Plomer  estate  is  now  the  property  of  Don 
Narciso  Lozano,  who  figures  prominently  among  the 
Rambouillet  breeders.  Don  Claudio  Stegman  in 
1840  founded  another  well-know^n  merino  stud,  and 
did  much  toward  promoting  the  industry.  Another 
name  deserving  of  all  respect  is  that  of  Mr.  John 
Hannah,  the  able  manager  of  the  Harratt-Sheridan 
merino  farm,  and  who  afterwards  acquired  the 
estancia  "  Carmen,"  where  he  established  a  historic 
Negretti  flock.  Don  Tomas  Chas,  a  breeder  of  world- 
wide fame,  created  a  special  type  of  merino,  which  he 
termed  the  Aroentine  Negretti.  This  breed  is  notable 
for  the  fineness  of  its  wool,  and  the  enormous  yield 
per  animal.  Other  prominent  Argentines  took  a 
share  in  the  formation  of  the  national  flocks.  Don 
Mariano  Acosta,  at  one  time  Vice-President  of  the 
Republic,  and  at  another  Governor  of  the  Province 
of  Buenos  Aires,  founded  a  Rambouillet  flock  in 
1858.  In  1850,  Don  Manuel  Guerrico  acquired  50 
German  Negrettis  selected  for  him  by  Don  Eduardo 
Olivera,  and  contributed  towards  the  refinement  of 
the  Aro;entine  bleaters.  Messrs.  Senillosa  Brothers, 
Don  German  Frers,  and  many  others  followed  the 
same  exemplary  lead,  and  the  country  was  supplied 
with    typical  flocks   whence   first  -  class   rams   could 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


be  bought  at  moderate  prices,  to  raise  the  general 
standard  of  the  Ai'gentine  sheep.  Enthusiasm  for 
sheep -breeding  had  at  last  become  general.  An 
exhibition  was  held  in  1858,  the  first  celebrated  in 
South  America.  Relieved  from  the  yoke  of  the 
dictatorship,  the  country  started  to  develop  itself; 
the  land  was  again  stocked  with  tame  herds,  and 
labour  was  obtainable  at  easy  prices.  Dating  from 
1858,  a  steady  improvement  in  pastoral  industries 
was  commenced  and  continued. 

It  has  already  been  stated  that  Doctor  Bernardino 
Rivadavia  introduced  in  1825  some  South  Down 
sheep,  which  throve  and  increased,  and  were  the 
progenitors  of  the  immense  flocks  of  the  same  breed 
now  owned  by  Don  Leonardo  Pereyra.  The  poor 
wool  return  from  the  Down  breed,  and  the  malady  of 
foot-rot  to  which  this  class  of  sheep  is  unfortunately 
peculiarly  predisposed,  have  prevented  them  becoming- 
popular,  and  they  are  not  bred  on  a  scale  suthcient 
to  render  them  a  feature  in  the  sheep  stock  of  the 
Argentine.  The  wet  seasons  of  1842,  1843,  and  1845 
had  developed  foot-rot  to  a  great  degree  in  the  merino 
sheep,  more  particularly  on  those  lands  lying  near 
the  Atlantic  seaboard.  Both  the  fluke  {Distoma 
hepaticum)  and  the  bronchial  or  lung  worm  {St^^ongulus 
Jilaria)  had  also  made  their  appearance.  These 
visitations  had  a  serious  efi'ect  upon  the  stock,  and 
some  of  the  English  breeders  resolved  to  introduce 
the  long- wools  of  their  own  country  to  mend  matters. 
Among  the  leaders  in  this  new  movement  were  Mr. 


36  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

William  "White,  Mr.  Richard  Newton,  jNIr.  John  Fair, 
Messrs.  Gibson  Brothers,  Ezcurra  Brothers,  and  Crisol 
Brothers.  Of  the  various  home  breeds  of  this  class,  the 
three  most  popular  were  the  Lincolns,  Leicesters,  and 
Eomney  Marshes;  and  after  a  few  years'  experience 
most  stock-owners  decided  in  favour  of  the  Lincolns. 
They  throve  well,  gave  a  great  increase,  and  their 
wool  sold  at  a  high  jDrice  in  Europe.  They  made  a 
good  cross  with  the  merino  breeds,  and  the  cross  wools 
fetched  exceptionally  high  figures.  For  a  number  of 
years,  however,  the  Lincolns  and  other  long-wools 
remained  unpopular,  even  on  those  lands  where 
the  merinos  manifestly  suffered  owing  to  the  damp 
climate  and  soil.  The  breeder  feared  the  long  strong 
wool,  accustomed  as  he  was  to  the  golden  fleece  of  his 
merino ;  and  the  white  face  and  clean  legs  of  the 
English  sheep  recalled  to  his  mind  the  valueless 
Pampa  sheep  of  his  youth,  and  he  dubbed  the 
symmetrical  English  bleaters  with  the  same  name. 
Not  until  1882  did  the  Lincoln  become  a  generally 
J  popular  breed,  and  to-day  it  disputes  the  land  with 
the  merino  in  every  corner  of  the  Republic.  This 
change  has  been  brought  about  by  three  causes,  which 
I  shall  only  touch  here  briefly,  leaving  their  further 
study  for  another  chapter.  First,  a  succession  of  wet 
seasons,  commencing  in  1877  and  continuing  with 
few  gaps  until  1884,  had  occasioned  heavy  losses  in 
the  merino  stock,  particularly  upon  those  lands  near 
the  seaboard.  Durinoj  this  time  the  lono^-woolled 
stock    throve  apace,  and    the  crosses  rose  in  value. 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


This  could  not  fail  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  fine- 
wool  breeders,  who  saw  their  stock  decrease  every 
year,  whilst  their  neighbours  who  possessed  Lincoln 
crosses  obtained  each  year  a  healthy  increase.  Second, 
the  frozen-meat  trade,  which  at  its  commencement 
appeared  to  be  of  doubtful  jDracticability,  soon  assumed 
titanic  proportions.  The  foot-sore  merinos,  small  in 
carcase  and  unkindly  fatteners,  were  little  sought 
after ;  whilst  the  demand  for  long-wooUed  crosses 
rose,  and  their  breeders  found  a  ready  market. 
Finally,  in  1884,  a  fall  in  merino  wools  became  ac- 
centuated, and  long  wools,  especially  the  cross  wools, 
sold  at  better  prices.  Thus  the  merino  breeders 
saw  the  whilom  despised  long-wool  produce  a  better 
return  in  every  respect — a  secure  increase,  a  valuable 
carcase,  and  a  fleece  which  toj)ped  the  market  in 
price.  The  result  has  been  a  rush  after  Lincolns  for 
crossing  purposes.  Every  Lincoln  ram,  indeed  every 
ram  whose  lono-  wool  and  white  face  suo^sfested  a 
trace  of  Lincoln  blood,  was  sold  easily,  and  at  a  high 
figure.  By  1889  Lincoln  cross  wool  became  a  most 
important  feature  in  the  Argentine  wool  market,  and 
in  the  present  year  of  1892  there  is  no  sign  of  abate- 
ment in  the  furore  for  lono-  wools. 

Though  started  at  such  an  early  date,  it  is  only 
since  1866  that  the  sheep  industry  in  the  Argentine 
may  be  said  to  have  really  sprung  into  life.  Checked 
for  nearly  three-quarters  of  a  century  by  war  and 
miso-overnment,  it  has  been  retarded  from  takins;  the 
proportions  it  may  reasonably  be  expected  to  assume. 


38  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

But  its  star  is  now  fairly  in  the  ascendant.  From 
;  1856  to  1886  the  stock  of  sheep  has  bounded  from 
16,000,000  to  over  90,000,000,  surpassing  that  of 
Australia,  which  at  the  latter  date  only  reached 
84,000,000.  Unfortunately  a  comparison  of  the  wool 
return  is  not  so  satisfactory,  for  while  the  English 
colonies  in  the  Antipodes  average  5  lbs.  per  fleece  over 
their  total  stock,  that  of  the  Argentine  barely  reaches 
3  lbs.  for  the  same  year.  But  this  does  not  point  out 
any  defect  in  soil  or  climate,  but  only  negligence  on 
the  part  of  a  great  number  of  sheep-breeders  who 
have  not  yet  discovered  that  a  good  sheep  and  a  bad 
one  eat  the  same  quantity  of  grass,  and  cost  the  same 
to  keep.  Since  1886  the  improvement  in  the  general 
stock  is  great,  and  the  return  for  1891  shows  an 
average  of  4  lbs.  per  head  over  78,000,000  sheep.  The 
capital  stock  of  the  country  has  fallen  off  since  1886, 
in  great  part  due  to  the  foothold  agriculture  has 
gained  in  the  Argentine.  But  the  eventual  result  of 
this  agricultural  departure  will  be  an  increase  in  the 
stock  of  the  country,  as  farmers  will  find  it  more 
convenient  to  feed  off  their  produce  on  live  stock 
grown  on  the  farm,  or  bought  for  fattening  purposes, 
rather  than  sell  their  crops  in  the  market.  Of  the 
78,000,000  sheep  in  the  Argentine,  fully  60,000,000 
are  to  be  found  in  the  Province  of  Buenos  Aires  alone. 
\j  Vast  sheep  countries  still  remain  unstocked — in  the 
north  to  the  Argentine  Chaco,  in  the  west  the 
magnificent  Pampa  Central,  and  in  the  south  down 
to  the  Santa  Cruz  Territory.     Already  the  spreading 


IX  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


39 


of  the  pastoral  industry  is  observable ;  Santa  Cruz, 
Rio  Colorado,  and  Rio  Negro  wools  are  now  quoted  in 
the  market,  and  it  is  only  the  other  day  that  these 
territories  were  unknown.  To  forecast  the  possible 
sheep-carrying  capacity  of  the  Argentine  would  be 
conjectural ;  but,  guided  by  what  the  Province  of 
Buenos  Aires  carries  to-day,  and  the  soil  and  climate 
of  the  surrounding  provinces  and  territories,  I  have 
little  hesitation  in  saying  that  the  present  capital  of 
78,000,000  could  be  douhled  in  twenty-five  years 
without  in  any  way  overstocking  the  country. 


CHAPTER  II 

OF  THE  PRESENT  STATE  OF  THE  SHEEP  STOCK 
IN  THE  ARGENTINE 

The  greater  portion  of  the  slieep  stock  in  the  Argen- 
tine is  of  the  fine-woolled  or  merino  sort.  The  two 
principal  classes  which  have  served  as  prototypes  are 
the  Eambouillet  and  Negretti,  the  former  being  the 
more  popular  owing  to  its  superior  size.  These  two 
great  branches  of  the  Merino  family  have  served  as 
standard  types  up  to  which  the  general  breeder 
aspires  to  refine  his  stock.  The  common  fine-woolled 
flocks  all  resemble  more  or  less  one  of  these  two 
classes,  in  proportion  to  the  amount  of  care  and 
outlay  which  have  been  expended  by  their  owners  to 
obtain  rams  of  first-class  quality.  The  number  of 
pure  Rambouillets  and  Negrettis  is  of  course  very 
limited,  and  the  common  flocks  are  classed  as  mestizos, 
a  term  specially  applied  to  the  sheep  which  have  no 
other  blood  in  them  than  that  of  the  primitive  criollo 
improved  by  crossing  with  the  merino.  The  Australian 
merino  has  been  introduced  upon  one  or  two  occasions 
without  obtaining  much  foothold  with  the  Argentine 
breeders,  who,  upon  comparing  the  Australian  animals 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY  41 

they  saw  offered  for  sale  with  their  own  stock,  found 
the  latter  better  types  of  their  ideal.  The  Vermont 
has  been  introduced  from  North  America,  and  has 
done  well  when  crossed  with  the  Rambouillet. 

A  number  of  breeders  in  the  north  of  the  Province 
of  Buenos  Aires  have  had  the  foresiofht  to  resist  the 
ojeneral  rush  to  cross  the  merino  with  the  lonof-wool, 
and  have  preferred  to  keep  their  sheep  pure  in  the 
face  of  a  falling  market.  Others  have  contented 
themselves  with  preserving  one  or  two  of  their  best 
flocks  pure,  and  have  crossed  the  remainder  of  their 
stock  with  long-wools.  It  is  probable  that  at  the 
present  time  nearly  one-half  of  the  total  sheep  in 
the  Argentine  own  to  one  cross  or  more  with  the 
Lincoln  or  Leicester  breeds,  principally  with  the 
former.  The  pure  merinos  or  mestizos,  that  is  those 
entirely  free  of  contamination  with  the  long- wools, 
are  chiefly  to  be  found  in  the  north  and  west  of  the 
Province  of  Buenos  Aires,  in  the  Provinces  of  Cordoba, 
Santa  Fe,  and  Entre  Rios,  and  the  Pampa  Central. 
A  few  runs  are  still  to  be  found  in  the  east  and  south 
of  the  Province  of  Buenos  Aires  where  there  are  pure 
merino  flocks,  but  these  are  generally  standard  farms 
which  have  obtained  celebrity  for  their  produce,  and 
command  a  market  for  their  rams  and  increase. 
Judging  from  the  continued  and  still  -  increasing 
demand  for  Lincoln  sires,  it  may  be  presaged  that  in 
another  four  or  five  years  the  pure  merino  or  mestizo 
stock  left  in  the  Argentine  w411  be  a  very  small 
fraction  of  the  whole.     The  years  1888  to  1893  are 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


witnessing  the  conversion  of  50,000,000  sheep  from 
one  type  to  another — a  conversion  probably  without 
parallel  in  the  annals  of  the  sheep-breeding  industry. 
The  Lincolns,  or  other  long- wools,  of  a  sufficiently 
improved  breed  to  be  entitled  to  rank  above  a  cross — 
viz.  the  sheep  whose  fleeces  bear  all  the  characteristics 
of  the  home  long-wool — are  not  yet  very  numerous, 
though  each  year  of  crossing  greatly  increases  the 
number.  The  most  popular  of  the  long-wools  is 
unquestionably  the  Lincoln.  These  have  been  largely 
imported  from  England  and  crossed  with  mestizo 
sheep,  as  well  as  bred  pure.  The  wool  sells  well, 
particularly  the  first  and  second  crosses,  which 
topped  the  market  in  1889  and  1890.  The  fleece 
of  these  first  strains  is  heavy,  and  the  wool  healthy 
and  fine,  being  considerably  longer  in  staple  than 
that  of  the  merino,  and  still  sufficiently  soft  to  suit 
the  manufacturer.  The  off'spring  of  the  long-wooUed 
sire  and  the  mestiza  dam  is  healthy  and  vigorous,  of 
a  larger  build  than  the  mestizo,  and  a  kindly  fattener, 
—  more  so  indeed  than  the  later  crosses,  which 
approach  the  Lincoln  more  closely  in  type.  As 
the  process  of  crossing  goes  on,  the  wool  gains  in 
length  but  loses  in  fineness.  The  Lincoln  stamps  his 
type  upon  the  stock  very  rapidly.  Other  long-wools, 
such  as  the  Leicester,  the  Cotswold,  and  the  Eomney 
Marsh,  have  been  introduced  without  obtaining  very 
general  favour.  The  Romney  Marsh,  with  its 
healthy  frame  and  soft  wool,  may  possibly  become 
a  greater  favourite  than  it  is  at  present,  when  the 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  43 

general  breeder  has  learned  to  distinguish,  with 
greater  discrimination  than  he  can  at  present  boast, 
the  various  classes  of  the  English  sheep.  The  Cheviot 
has  also  been  imported,  but  in  too  small  quantities  to 
be  worthy  of  notice ;  nor  is  it  likely  that  this  breed, 
adapted  for  a  poor  cold  country,  with  an  inferior 
fleece  of  irregular  coarse  staple  and  light  weight,  will 
find  much  favour  in  a  land  capable  of  carrying  more 
productive  though  more  delicate  stock. 

Not  only  does  the  Lincoln  cross  supply  a  saleable 
fleece  of  excellent  quality  and  weight,  but  it  also 
gives  the  European  market  the  carcase  most  in  favour 
with  the  public  —  a  medium  size  of  sweet  flavour. 
The  cross  still  preserves  the  delicate  mutton  so  well 
known  in  all  the  merino  breeds,  and  at  the  same  time 
possesses,  by  reason  of  its  Lincoln  blood,  a  capacity 
for  fattening  not  enjoyed  by  the  pure  fine -wool. 
When,  however,  the  cross  becomes  of  a  too  pro- 
nounced Lincoln  type,  the  mutton  loses  its  quality, 
gaining  considerable  weight  in  its  place.  The  home 
markets  look  upon  frozen  mutton  as  an  article  so 
inferior  to  that  produced  in  the  Old  World,  that  they 
have  not  yet  pronounced  in  favour  of  any  special 
breed ;  but  the  day  cannot  be  far  distant  when  this 
will  cease  to  be  the  case,  and  then  the  coarse-grained 
pure  Lincoln  will  fall  into  disfavour  with  the  freezing 
establishments.  There  are  breeders  who  hope  to  j)re- 
serve  the  Lincoln-merino  cross  as  a  stamped  type  by 
crossing  back  to  the  merino  again,  when  the  wool 
becomes  too  lengthy  and  strong.     Such  an  attempt  is 


44  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

not  likely  to  be  attended  with  much  success,  and  the 
breed  subjected  to  this  treatment  will  become  a  prey 
to  all  the  caprices  of  atavism.  More  profitable  would 
be  a  practice  of  selection,  carried  out  on  the  same 
scientific  principles  that  have  served  to  form  all  the 
typical  breeds  of  the  world,  to  produce  a  sheep  which 
should  most  happily  combine  a  good  carcase  with  a 
good  fleece,  holding  always  in  view  the  particular 
requisitions  of  the  country  in  which  it  is  to  live. 

Of  the  mutton-sheep  proper,  the  Down,  there  need 
be  little  said  here,  the  number  in  the  Argentine  being 
too  limited  to  merit  much  attention.  Nevertheless 
some  breeders  have  successfully  introduced  the  South 
Dow^ns  and  Oxfordshire  Downs — especially  the  latter 
— into  their  flocks.  A  cross  between  these  sheep  and 
the  merinos  is  not  so  felicitous  with  respect  to  the 
wool  as  that  between  the  merinos  and  the  white-faced 
long-wools.  The  Down  sheep  all  sufi'er  alike  from 
diseases  of  the  foot,  and  these  diseases  are  easily  con- 
tracted in  this  country.  Moreover,  they  assert  the 
harsh  staple  of  their  wool  in  the  cross,  and  the  fleece 
is  neither  of  great  value  nor  weight.  The  black-faces 
may  possibly  succeed  in  the  arable  parts  of  the 
country,  but  they  are  little  adapted  for  the  pastoral 
lands  which  form  the  greater  portion  of  the  Argen- 
tine. Wool  is,  and  must  ever  be,  a  first  considera- 
tion in  this  land,  and  it  is  upon  this  account,  if  upon 
no  other,  that  the  Down  sheep  can  never  become  very 
popular  in  the  Eiver  Plate. 

To  attempt  to  mark  with  exactitude  the  natural 


R  &  R  Clark,  Printers,  '^A\n\i\xc\To/ace_pa^e  45. 


IX  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


45 


sheep  divisions  of  the  country  woukl  be  an  impossible 
task.  The  general  demarcation  as  shown  on  the  accom- 
panying plan  of  the  Province  of  Buenos  Aires,  gives 
an  approximate  idea  of  the  distribution  of  sheep  in 
that  province, — by  far  the  most  important  one  of 
the  Argentine  Republic.  The  general  divisions  here 
shown  are  as  follows  : — ^ 


Area  in  sq. 
miles. 

No.  of 
Sheep. 

Average  No. 
per  sq.  mile. 

Section      I. 

„         II.          .          . 
„       III.          .          . 
„        IV.          .          . 

48,415 

36,840 

18,260 

6,770 

48,144,000 

14,279,000 

2,417,000 

523,000 

995 

388 
132 

77 

Province  of  Buenos  Aires 

110,285 

65,363,000 

592 

It  should  be  remembered  that  this  is  treating  of 
sheep  alone,  in  addition  to  which  there  are  10,422,000 
head  of  cattle,  as  well  as  2,020,000  horses  and  mares 
in  the  Province.  Further,  the  land  devoted  to  agri- 
culture, being  about  5000  square  miles,  and  the  land 
taken  up  by  townships,  etc.,  has  not  been  deducted 
from  the  area  calculated  as  grazing  or  pastoral  land. 
Admitting'  that  a  cow  consumes  as  much  forage  as 
five  sheep,  and  a  horse  as  much  as  seven,  then  the 
natural  pastures  of  the  Province  of  Buenos  Aires 
maintain  stock  at  the  rate  of  186  sheep  per  100  acres 

1  I  have  extracted  these  figures,  and  all  others  einplo3'ed  iu  showing  the 
distribution  of  stock  in  the  Argentine  Eepublic,  from  ]\Iessrs.  M.  G.  and 
E.  T.  Mulhall's  Handbook  of  the  River  Plate,  1892  edition. 


46  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

per  annum!  And  this  is  taking  the  average  of  a 
whole  Province  whose  area  is  over  110,000  square 
miles,  or  nearly  equal  to  that  of  the  United  Kingdom. 
It  is  doubtful  if  such  a  great  live-stock  bearing  terri- 
tory, where  the  natural  pasturage  is  all  the  forage 
consumed,  could  be  found  in  any  other  part  of  the 
world.  The  average  rainfall  in  this  Province  is  30 
inches,  the  fall  being  less  in  the  south  than  in  the 
east  and  west.  The  atmosphere  is  somewhat  humid, 
more  especially  in  the  east.  Owing  to  this  circum- 
stance, and  also  to  the  proximity  to  the  meat  markets, 
this  is  where  most  of  the  long-wools  and  their  crosses 
flourish. 

The  remainder  of  the  sheep  in  the  Argentine  are 
to  be  found  chiefly  in  the  Provinces  of  Santa  Fe,  Entre 
Rios,  and  the  Territory  of  the  Pampa  Central.  In  the 
map  facing  page  41  an  idea  is  obtained  of  how  these 
sheep  countries  are  situated.  The  Province  of  Santa 
Fe  is  the  chief  agricultural  department  of  the  Republic, 
but  it  also  boasts  some  excellent  pasture  land,  and 
many  eminent  breeders  have  runs  there.  The  rain- 
fall, taking  the  average  of  three  different  localities, 
Rosario,  Santa  Fe,  and  Reconquista,  is,  according  to 
Mr.  Fleiss,  42 '20  inches  per  annum,  but  it  is  probable 
that  the  general  average  rainfall  over  the  whole  Pro- 
vince is  considerably  less  than  this.  Entre  Rios  is 
held  by  many  to  be  the  next  most  important  pastoral 
Province,  after  Buenos  Aires,  in  the  Republic.  Most 
of  the  land  in  the  south  of  this  State  is  well  adapted 
for  live  stock  of  all  kinds,  though  estates  bordering 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  47 

on  the  two  great  rivers  which  bound  the  Province  are 
subject  to  the  defect  of  swampy  lands  where  the  sheep 
do  not  thrive.  Nevertheless  there  is  a  promising- 
future  for  the  pastoral  industry  in  this  Province,  and 
transport  is  greatly  facilitated  by  the  two  mighty 
rivers,  the  Parana  and  Uruguay,  between  which  this 
Mesopotamia  of  the  Argentine  lies.  The  climate  is  a 
moist  one,  and  the  annual  rainfall  is  stated  by  Mr. 
Mulhall  to  be  44  inches.  Turnino-  ao;ain  to  the  south 
we  have  the  magnificent  Department  of  the  Pampa 
Central,  which  was  only  opened  up  to  the  pastoral 
world  in  1880.  Ten  years  ago  there  was  scarcely  a 
flock  to  be  found  in  this  State,  and  now  the  number  of 
sheep  is  estimated  at  6,000,000.  The  land  is  undulating, 
in  places  covered  with  trees,  though  nowhere  are  the 
woods  dense.  The  soil  is  light  and  sandy,  the  rain- 
fall slight,  and  the  atmosphere  a  dry  one.  Merino 
sheep  thrive  well  here,  and  this  State  is  undoubtedly 
best  adapted  for  the  fine-woolled  breed.  South  again 
of  the  Pampa  Central  lies  the  Territory  of  the  Rio 
Neo-ro.  This  State  is  but  little  known,  and  though 
much  of  it  belongs  to  the  rocky  and  sterile  Patagonian 
formation,  there  is  good  sheep  country  to  be  found. 
Already  along  the  banks  of  the  Rio  Negro  there  graze 
large  flocks  of  sheep.  South  of  this  Department  lies 
that  of  Chubut,  and  south  to  that  again  the  Depart- 
ment of  Santa  Cruz.  In  one  division  of  this  last- 
mentioned  State,  viz.  in  the  Rio  Gallegos  division, 
there  has  suddenly  sprung  into  life  a  thriving  sheep- 
breeding  industry,   and    the  wool   grown  there    has 


48  THE  SHEEP-BREEDIXG  INDUSTRY 

already  become  a  quotation  in  the  London  market. 
Thouf^h  a  great  portion  of  Patagonia  is  rocky,  barren 
and  unsuitable  for  the  rearing  of  live  stock,  there  are 
nevertheless  districts  within  its  vast  limits  destined 
to  become  some  day  important  sheep  countries. 

Eeturniug  to  the  north  again,  we  have  the  import- 
ant Province  of  Cordoba,  in  which  are  to  be  found 
numerous  sheep  farms  of  note.  These  are  chiefly  in 
the  south  of  the  State.  But  the  acknowledged  existence 
of  sheep  in  the  north  of  this  Province,  as  well  as  in  the 
Provinces  of  San  Luis,  Corrientes,  the  Santa  Fe  Chaco, 
Salta,  etc.,  prove  that  bleaters  will  eventually  thrive 
and  do  well  in  the  north  of  the  Argentine  Eepublic, 
and  their  introduction  is  but  a  question  of  immigra- 
tion and  time.  From  this  brief  survey  of  the  country 
it  may  be  appreciated  what  a  great  area  still  remains 
to  be  occupied  with  the  sheep-breeding  industry. 

The  following  table  of  the  distribution  of  sheep  in 
the  Argentine  Eepublic  is  compiled  from  the  most 
reliable  data  to  be  obtained  from  the  returns  of  1891. 
It  cannot  be  considered  a  perfectly  accurate  statement, 
though  generally  speaking  the  proportions  are  very 
near  the  mark.  Students  of  live-stock  statistics  are 
aware  how  difficult  it  is  to  obtain  authentic  statements, 
and  how  frequently  a  comparison  of  tables  by  differ- 
ent authorities  leads  to  discrepancies  which  become 
quite  unmanageable.  By  the  following  table  the  total 
number  of  sheep  is  shown  to  pass  85,000,000.  This 
number  is  probably  in  excess  of  the  actual  sheep  cen- 
sus for  1891.  which  has  been  stated  elsewhere  to  be 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


49 


78,000,000.  The  probable  number  may  be  taken  to 
be  not  more  than  the  former  estimate  nor  less  than 
the  latter. 


Estimated 

Average 

State  or  Department.              pastoral  area 

Number  of 
sheep. 

number  per 

in  sq.  miles. 

sq.  mile. 

Buenos  Aires  . 

110,285 

65,363,000 

592 

Entre  Rios 

30,000 

4,900,000 

163 

Corrientes 

22,000 

610,000 

28 

Santa  Fe  (south) 

23,000 

2,400,000 

104 

Santa  Fe  (north) 

27,000 

520,000 

19 

Cordoba  . 

45,000 

1,386,000 

31 

San  Luis 

20,000 

240,000 

12 

Santiago  del  Estero 

25,000 

780,000 

31 

Salta 

36,000 

160,000 

5 

Pampa  Central 

65,000 

6,000,000 

92 

Rio  Negro 

85,000 

2,520,000 

30 

Neuquen 

45,000 

115,000 

3 

Chubut    . 

240 

17,200 

72 

Santa  Cruz 

48,000 

26,500 

Gallegos  . 

10,350 

116,000 

11 

591,875 

85,153,700 

142 

To  show  the  present  state  of  the  wool  production 
in  the  Argentine,  I  cannot  do  better  than  quote  the 
Handbook  of  the  River  Plate,  in  which  the  figures 
and  tables  all  come  from  the  able  hands  of  the  emi- 
nent statistician,  Mr.  Michael  G.  Mulhall : — 


"The  growth  of  sheep-farming  is  shown  by  the  export  of 
wool  and  the  estimated  number  of  sheep,  as  in  the  following 
table  : — 


50 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


Year. 

Sheep. 

Wool,  lbs. 

Lbs.  per  Sheep. 

1830 

2,500,000 

6,000,000 

2-3 

1840 

5,000,000 

13,000,000 

2-6 

1850 

7,000,000 

21,000,000 

3  0 

1860 

14,000,000 

45,000,000 

3-2 

1870 

41,000,000 

137,000,000 

3-3 

1880 

61,000,000 

215,000,000 

3-5 

1891 

78,000,000 

310,000,000 

4-0 

"It  appears  that  in  the  last  forty  years,  while  the  number  of 
sheep  has  multiplied  eleven-fold,  the  wool -clip  has  increased 
fifteen-fold,  three  sheep  at  present  yielding  as  much  wool  as  four 
did  in  1850.  The  relative  importance  of  Argentina  in  the  wool- 
clip  of  the  world  is  shown  thus  : — 


Sheep. 

Wool,  lbs. 

Lbs.  per  Sheep. 

Europe . 
United  States 
Australia 
Argentina 
Other  Countries 

The  World     . 

197,700,000 
43,500,000 
96,600,000 
78,000,000 
27,500,000 

860,000,000 
320,000,000 
420,000,000 
310,000,000 
120,000,000 

4-3 
7-2 

4-4 
4-0 

4-4 

443,000,000 

2,030,000,000 

4-5 

Argentine  wool  finds  its  way  principally  to  Ger- 
j  many  and  France.  The  manufacturers  of  both  these 
countries  send  buyers  out  in  the  wool  season,  and 
most  of  the  wool  is  sold  to  them  in  the  local  Buenos 
Aires  markets.  Some  breeders  bale  their  wool  and 
remit  it  to  the  European  markets  for  sale  there,  but 
these  are  chiefly  English  sheep- owners,  and  the 
number  of  them  is  small.     Wool  is  not  washed  on 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  51 

the  sheeps'   backs,  but  is  all  sold  dirty  and  in  the 
OTease. 

The  disposal  of  sheep  for  food  in  1891  maybe 
taken  as  follows  : — 

Consumption  at  home 5,600,000  liead 

Exportation  in  frozen  carcases  and  live  stock  .      1,200,000     ,, 

Total        .  .     6,800,000  liead 

Taking  the  capital  in  sheep  for  1891  at  78 
millions,  this  disposal  of  butcher  stock  is  equivalent 
to  8J  per  cent.  Calculating  the  increase  per  annum 
at  16  per  cent,  this  leaves  7^  per  cent  augmentation 
of  sheep  per  annum.  At  this  rate,  and  presuming 
that  consumption  and  exportation  grow  proportion- 
ately, the  number  of  sheep  in  the  Argentine  by  the 
end  of  the  century  will  reach  150  millions. 

The  merino  wools  grown  in  the  Argentine  can 
compete  in  fineness,  length  of  staple,  and  elasticity 
with  those  from  any  other  quarter  of  the  globe. 
Taken  in  its  total  annual  return,  the  merino  wool  of 
this  country  is  probably  inferior  to  that  of  Australia. 
The  general  breeder  is  not  so  careful  of  his  stock  and 
the  tups  he  puts  to  it,  and  the  result  is  that  the 
unquestionable  excellence  of  a  portion  of  our  animal 
produce  is  counterbalanced  by  a  great  deal  of  com- 
paratively worthless  rubbish.  Where  care  has  been 
taken  to  breed  good  stock  the  return  has  been  highly 
satisfactory.  Along  the  seaboard  of  the  Atlantic  the 
merino  does  not  oive  the  same  result  as  in  the  interior. 
The  wool  becomes  looser,  the  fleece  less  elastic,  and  the 


y 


52  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

staple  weak.  Nor  need  this  be  wondered  at,  for  the 
flocks  in  that  district  suffer  greatly  from  foot-rot,  and 
two-thirds  of  every  flock  are  upon  their  knees  most  of 
the  year.  The  merino  does  not  suffer  from  the  ravages 
of  scab  to  the  same  extent  as  the  long-wool.  It  is 
also  more  easily  shepherded,  the  flock  always  keeping 
too-ether  when  feedinsj.  For  the  latter  reason  the 
same  run  can  carry  more  merinos  than  long-wools  to 
the  acre.  Land  of  average  first  quality  in  the  Pro- 
/  vince  of  Buenos  Aires  will  carry  2^  sheep  to  the 
acre  in  addition  to  one  cow  to  every  five  acres,  and 
this  without  the  aid  of  extra  or  artificially -grown 
forage.  Well-bred  mestiza  sheep  will  give  an  average 
of  6^  lbs.  of  wool  in  the  grease,  washing  out  at  from 
35  to  40  per  cent.^  Such  wool  is  worth  at  present 
from  6^d.  to  7d.  per  lb.  The  lambing  commences  in 
the  month  of  March,  and  lasts  until  the  first  week  in 
May.  The  lambs  are  thus  weaned  in  the  early 
spriug.  Good  merino  sheep  are  at  present  at  a 
discount,  and  stock  capable  of  giving  the  returns  I 
have  quoted  can  be  had  at  from  4s.  6d.  to  7s.  each, 
an  all-round  lot  including  lambs,  shearlings,  two- 
shears,  three-shears,  aged,  and  wethers.  Tups  of  a 
first-class  quality,  bred  from  pure  Eambouillet  or 
Negretti  sires,  and  dams  sufficiently  improved  to 
entitle  them  to  rank  as  pure,  can  be  had  from  £2  :  10s. 
up  to  £10  each.  The  mestizo  wether  is  saleable  when 
a  two-shear,  and  at  that  age  should  give,  if  well  bred 

^  i.e.,  when  the  fleece  has  been  scoured,  35  to  40  per  cent  of  clean  wool 
remains. 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  53 

and  tended,  a  dead  weight  of  from  45  lbs.  to  55  lbs. 
Such  mutton  is  worth  from  l^d.  to  Ifd.  per  lb.  to  the 
producer,  the  skin  being  included  for  nothing  in  this 
price.  But  too  frequently  the  mestizo  wether  cannot 
show  sufficient  condition  and  weight  to  qualify  him 
for  the  frozen  market,  and  his  value  in  that  case  is 
considerably  less.  The  merino  sheep  do  well  on  all 
the  native  grasses,  and  where  there  is  a  dry  climate 
and  soil  they  thrive  excellently.  As  has  already  been 
stated,  they  attain  a  great  size,  the  pure  Rambouillet 
and  Negretti  born  in  the  country  generally  passing  in 
frame  his  imported  ancestor. 

The  long  -  wools  and  their  crosses  are  at  present 
in  such  high  esteem  in  the  country  that  the  prices 
paid  for  them  are  disproportionate  to  those  paid 
for  the  merino.  They  thrive  equally  well  upon  the 
humid  lands  of  the  seaboard  and  the  dry  soil  of  the 
interior.  As  they  approach  the  pure  long -wool  in 
type  they  suffer  more  from  scab,  and  the  disease 
appears  to  be  more  tenacious  when  once  it  attacks 
them.  On  the  other  hand  they  are  not  subject  to 
foot-rot,  and  can  walk  a  o-reater  distance  for  food 
than  their  merino  relatives.  The  long -wools  feed 
in  a  more  independent  fashion  than  the  merinos, 
and  are  to  be  seen  scattered  in  groups  of  twos  and 
threes  when  grazing,  and  never  in  a  mob  as  is  the 
case  with  the  fine-wools.  They  are  of  a  less  timid 
nature,  and  do  not  fly  at  the  sight  of  a  horseman  or 
dog,  which  is  the  case  with  the  mestizos.  It  is 
more   convenient  to   keep    them  in    paddocks  when 


54  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY       , 

feasible,  as  owing  to  their  characteristic  independ- 
ence it  is  no  easy  matter  to  shepherd  them  and 
keep  them  from  mixture  with  their  neighbours. 
They  fatten  kindly  upon  any  of  the  Argentine 
sheep  grasses,  and  do  not  sujffer  from  parasitic 
epidemics  to  the  same  extent  as  the  mestizos.  In 
the  years  1886  and  1887,  when  the  bronchial  or 
lung-worm  {Strongulus  Jilaria)  invaded  the  merino 
flocks  and  occasioned  heavy  losses  in  the  low-lying 
districts,  the  long -wools  which  grazed  almost  side 
by  side  with  the  mestizos  appeared  to  remain  in- 
different to  the  attacks  of  the  parasite,  which  was 
decimatino;  the  fine-woolled  stock.  The  same  occurred 
in  1889  when  the  lung-worm  occasioned  very  serious 
losses,  and  it  was  the  result  of  this  year  that  brought 
the  Lincolns  into  general  favour.  The  superior 
constitution  of  the  long-wool  assisted  him  in  resisting 
the  invasion  of  this  terrible  pest. 

The  long- wool  requires  more  space  than  the 
merino,  and  land  of  average  first-class  quality  in  the 
Province  of  Buenos  Aires  will  carry  two  to  the  acre 
as  well  as  one  cow  to  every  five  acres,  without  the  aid 
of  extra  or  artificially-grown  forage.  Such  sheep 
will  give  an  average  fleece  of  from  5^  to  7  lbs.  of 
wool  in  the  grease,  washing  out  at  from  50  to  60 
per  cent.  Such  wool  is  w^orth  at  present  from  6^d. 
to  8d.  per  lb.  in  the  grease,  and  from  6d.  to  7-gd. 
per  lb.  when  the  type  of  staple  has  become  a 
distinct  lono^-wool.  The  lambinor  commences  in 
tlie    month    of   June    and    lasts    until    the    end    of 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  55 

August.  Though  the  price  per  lb.  obtained 
for  the  fleece  of  the  Lincoln  type  is  less  than 
that  for  the  wool  of  the  earlier  crosses,  the 
return  of  the  former  is  superior  in  weight.  A 
well-bred  long-wool  which  has  acquired  a  Lincoln 
type  gives  from  7 J  to  8 J  lbs.  per  head,  without 
the  aid  of  extra  forage.  The  cross  sheep  are  worth 
from  6s.  up  to  lis.  each,  in  proportion  to  the 
amount  of  crosses  they  own  to.  The  long -wool, 
that  is  the  sheep  which  has  been  bred  up  to 
a  sufficient  standard  to  distino-uish  it  from  the 
Lincoln  cross,  is  sold  at  from  15s.  to  30s.  per 
head.  The  latter  are  not  easy  to  acquire,  as  the 
breeder  will  not  readily  sell,  finding  it  more  re- 
munerative to  keep  all  his  increase  and  breed 
tups  for  the  market.  These  prices  quoted  for  the 
long- wool  are  undoubtedly  temporary,  and  they 
will  fall  as  soon  as  the  breed  becomes  generalised. 
Tups  of  a  first-class  quality,  bred  from  pure  Lincoln 
sires  and  dams  sufficiently  improved  to  entitle  them 
to  rank  as  such,  can  be  had  at  from  £2  :  10s.  up  to 
£10  each.  The  wether  can  be  sold  as  a  shearling, 
in  which  case  he  will  give  from  54  to  65  lbs. 
dead  mutton,  worth  from  l^d.  to  2d.  per  lb.  for 
the  producer,  the  skin  being  thrown  in  at  this 
price.  If  kept  until  a  two-shear  he  will  give  from 
58  up  to  75  lbs.  dead  mutton,  worth  the  same  price 
per  lb.  as  the  shearling.  High  prices  have  been 
recently  obtained  for  Lincoln  crosses  for  exporta- 
tion   alive ;    up    to    20s.    has    been    paid    for   a   big 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


framed  wether.  This  price  may  also  be  considered 
as  occasioned  by  exceptional  circumstances,  and  in 
excess  of  the  normal  value  of  the  animal.  Never- 
theless the  long-wool  produces  a  carcase  which  is 
generally  preferred  by  the  butcher  —  the  average 
weight  being  sufficient  to  meet  the  public  demand, 
and  the  mutton  of  a  good  quality.  But  it  should 
be  held  in  mind  that  there  are  few  long-wools  of  a 
pure  Lincoln  or  Leicester  type  in  the  country,  and 
that  it  is  impossible  to  judge  how  long  the  prices 
will  be  kept  up,  if  the  introduction  of  pure  sheep 
of  these  breeds  continues.  With  respect  to  this 
problem — the  question  of  how  to  combine  wool  with 
a  butcher  carcase — there  w^ill  be  some  remarks  found 
in  another  part  of  this  book. 

Li  treating  of  the  different  breeds  of  sheep  in 
the  Argentine  and  their  respective  merits  and  pro- 
duce, we  come  again  to  the  black-faces,  such  as  the 
South  Down,  Oxfordshire  Dow^n,  Shropshire,  etc. 
These  have  been  introduced  from  time  to  time,  but, 
as  has  already  been  stated,  without  obtaining  much 
popularity  with  breeders.  It  must  be  held  in  mind 
that  this  class  of  sheep  is  best  adapted  for  arable 
land,  and  that  in  the  Argentine  Eepublic  the  practice 
of  combininsf  as^riculture  with  stock-raising  does  not 
yet  obtain.  On  the  other  hand  the  breeder  finds 
that  the  black -faced  sheep  produces  a  poor  fleece, 
light  in  weight  and  of  no  great  value.  The  mutton 
is  undoubtedly  of  a  finer  quality,  but  the  freezers 
do    not  yet  recognise   the    quality  of  mutton   in   a 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  57 

sufficient  degree  to  encourage  the  breeder.  More- 
over all  the  black-faced  breeds  suffer  from  foot-rot, 
and  in  the  mutton-OTOwino-  districts  of  the  Ars^entine, 
where  the  climate  is  humid,  foot-rot  is  one  of  the 
most  baneful  scourges.  The  consideration  of  this 
breed  may  therefore  be  dismissed  with  this  short 
notice.  It  is  improbable  that  at  any  time  the 
Down  sheep  will  become  plentiful  in  the  Argentine. 

The  question  lies  to  -  day  between  the  merino 
as  represented  by  the  Rambouillet  and  Negretti 
breeds,  and  the  long-woolled  white-face  as  repre- 
sented by  the  Lincoln.  At  present  the  amalgama- 
tion of  the  two  races  has  supplied  us  with  a  good 
useful  sheep,  combining  excellent  conditions  in  both 
wool  and  mutton.  Whether  the  breeder  is  to  con- 
tinue crossing  towards  the  type  of  the  long-wool,  or 
return  again  to  the  merino,  is  a  problem  which  he 
must  solve  according  to  the  situation  of  his  pro- 
perty, his  proximity  to,  or  distance  from,  the 
market,  and  the  nature  of  the  soil  and  climate. 

The  following  may  be  taken  as  a  rough  distribu- 
tion of  the  two  great  families  of  bleaters  : — 

1.  If  the  land  be  situated  conveniently  near  the 
seaboard  and  the  mutton  market,  the  rainfall  a 
moderately  heavy  one,  the  climate  humid,  and  the 
soil  underfoot  inclined  to  be  swampy  or  damp,  the 
grass  of  a  tender,  lash,  and  nutritious  nature — then 
the  best  sheep  to  breed  is  the  long-wool  of  a  more 
or  less  Lincoln  type.  Lands  of  this  description  are 
those    to    be  found  j)i'iiicipally  in   the   Province    of 


58  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

Buenos  Aires,  in  that  part  of  it  nearest  the  seaboard, 
and  so  on  to  the  south,  possibly  so  far  towards  the 
extremity  of  the  continent  as  the  Department  of 
Santa  Cruz.  This  is  the  field  where  mutton  is  of 
as  great  importance  as  wool,  and  where  the  food 
for  a  considerable  part  of  over  -  crowded  Europe 
can  be  grown.  Here  the  breeder  should  always 
have  in  view  the  mutton  market,  endeavouring  to 
produce  on  the  carcase  as  good  a  fleece  as  he  can 
without  sacrificing  the  meat-growing  qualities  of  the 
animal. 
J  2.  If  the  land  be  situated  at  so  great  a  distance 
from  the  market  as  to  render  it  almost  unattainable 
for  want  of  inexpensive  railway  communication,  if 
the  rainfall  per  annum  be  under  26  inches,  the  ground 
dry  underfoot,  and  dews  unfrequent,  the  atmosphere 
fairly  dry,  the  grasses  strong,  nourishing,  and  of  the 
family  belonging  to  healthy  dry  soils — then  the  best 
sheep  to  breed  is  the  merino  of  a  more  or  less 
Rambouillet  type.  Here  the  mutton  question  takes 
a  secondary  place,  and  the  breeder  should  think 
chiefly  of  the  fleece.  Here  the  golden  fleece  of 
merino  silk  can  be  grown  to  perfection,  and  the 
delicate  bleater  walk  foot-whole  in  search  of  his 
food.  Lands  of  this  description  are  to  be  found  in  the 
north  and  west  of  the  Province  of  Buenos  Aires,  in 
Santa  Fe,  Cordoba,  in  the  Pampa  Central,  in  the  back 
lands  of  the  National  and  Provincial  Territories 
stretching  westwards  to  the  feet  of  the  Cordilleras, 
and  south  to  the  shores  of  the  Neuquen.     These  are 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


59 


the  lands  destined  to  be  the  home  of  the  merino, 
and  not  even  the  perfect  herbage  and  climate  of 
Australia  Felix  will  surpass  the  wool -producing 
qualities  of  these  lands  which  to-day  well-nigh  go 
a-begging  for  purchasers. 

By  following  the  principle  roughly  set  out  here, 
of  studying  the  special  conditions  and  situation  of 
the  land,  there  is  no  danger  of  upsetting  the  equi- 
librium of  the  production  of  mutton  and  wool. 
Either  breed  has  its  special  home  where  it  thrives, 
and  the  same  great  country  can  grow  the  w^ell- 
coloured  carcase  for  the  home  consumer  and  the  soft 
superfine  wool  for  the  home  manufacturer. 

Before  terminating  this  chapter,  it  may  be 
interesting  to  note  how  the  Argentine  wools  fared 
in  the  o-reat  Paris  International  Exhibition  of  1889. 

o 

Of  236  prizes  given  to  the  exhibits  of  wool,  102 
were  won  by  the  Argentine  Republic,  of  which  23 
were  gold  medals.  The  following  is  the  proportion 
allotted  to  the  competing  countries  : — 


Gold  medals. 

Total  prizes. 

France 

Australia    .... 
Cape  of  Good  Hope     . 
Argentine  Republic     . 
Other  Countries  . 

4 
10 

3 
23 

14 

6 

27 

14 

102 

87 

CHAPTER  III 

THE    SELECTION",    PURCHASE,    AND    ADMINISTEATION 
OF    A    SHEEP    FARM 

So  much  depends  upon  the  intelligent  administra- 
tion of  a  sheep  farm,  that  the  writer  has  ventured  to 
treat  in  some  detail  most  of  the  natural  occurrences 
and  events  relating  to  the  business.  Much  that  is 
here  written  is  already  well  known  to  Argentine 
breeders,  but  it  is  not  so  much  for  them  that  this 
book  is  written  as  for  those  who  look  upon  the 
Argentine  Republic  as  a  new  home,  wherein  to 
invest  their  capital  and  take  up  their  residence.  For 
them  it  will  be  of  interest  to  learn  what  occurs  in  the 
monthly  routine  of  a  sheep-run,  and  by  reading  it 
their  appreciation  for  this  field  of  emigration  will  be 
rather  heightened  than  the  reverse.  They  will  also 
perceive  how  little  care  and  attention  are  required  to 
make  the  industry  a  successful  and  remunerative  one, 
and  it  will  prepare  them  to  a  certain  degree  for  what 
they  may  expect  if  they  ever  select  this  grand 
country  for  their  home. 

And  first,  of  the  classes  of  land,  and  their  capacity 
for  carrying  stock. — The  general   description  of  the 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY  6i 


sheep  country  in  the  Argentine  is  the  same  :  an  even 
prairie  free  of  mountains,  rocks,  or  stones ;  a  good 
vegetable  soil  varying  from  nine  inches  to  three  feet 
in  depth,  in  places  followed  immediately  by  the 
semi-petrous  tosca  or  Pampa-clay  formation,  in 
others  by  successive  strata  of  earth,  sand,  and  clay, 
but  ever  formed  upon  the  tosca  bed.  This  soil 
produces  the  most  nutritious  grasses,  including  Italian 
rye,  trefoil,^  lucern,  cocksfoot,  timothy,  wild  oat,  and 
every  grazing  herbage,  all  of  which  will  grow  equally 
well  when  introduced.  But  it  is  not  necessary  to  lay 
down  grazing  plants,  for  all  the  better  sorts  are  to  be 
found  there  already.  There  is  a  plentiful  water 
supply  in  all  the  sheep  country,  partly  in  the  shallow 
lagoons  and  little  sluggish  streams  which  traverse  the 
Pampa,  and  partly  the  surface  water  at  a  distance  of 
from  six  to  thirty  feet  from  the  surface,  making  the 
introduction  of  wells  a  matter  of  little  cost.  In  the 
for  west,  where  the  elevation  of  the  Pampa  is  hioher, 
water  is  not  to  be  obtained  so  near  the  surface.  The 
climate  is  a  salubrious  one,  without  extremes  of  either 
heat  or  cold,  and  seldom  visited  by  storms  of  great 
violence.  The  average  rainfall  is  from  twenty-six 
inches  in  the  drier  parts  up  to  thii'ty-six  inches  in  the 
moister  ones.  There  is  little  or  no  natural  wood,  nor 
are  there  any  harmful  bushes  to  tear  tlie  wool  from 
the  sheeps'  backs.  There  are  few  plants  bearing  burrs 
offensive  to  the  fleece ;  and  indeed  that  one  which  is 
most  frequent  in  the  country,  namely,  the  caretilla, 

^  Medicago  denticulato  ;  it  is  incorrectly  called  trifolium. 


62  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

or  trefoil  burr,  comes  from  one  of  the  richest  and 
most  milk-giving  grasses,  and  is  highly  esteemed 
despite  the  depreciation  it  causes  in  the  value  of  the 
wool.  The  burr  of  this  plant  does  not  come  away  until 
toward  November,  and  consequently  after  the  sheep 
are  shorn ;  and  those  gathered  on  the  fleece  duriDg 
the  autumn  are  in  great  part  washed  ojEf  again  by 
the  mnter  rains. 

The  following  valuable  remarks  upon  the  Pampa 
are  taken  from  Professor  P.  G.  Lorentz's  article  on 
this  subject  subscribed  to  a  work  on  the  Argentine 
Eepublic  which  was  prepared  by  Mr.  E.  Napp  for  the 
Centenary  Exhibition  at  Philadelphia  : — "  The  idea 
which  we  had  formed  from  our  childhood  by  reading 
popular  works,  that  the  Pampa  is  a  perfect  level,  is 
entirely  inexact.  The  soil  is  slightly  undulated,  and 
though  at  first  sight  the  elevations  and  valleys  are 
little  remarked,  they  are  soon  recognised  by  the 
difi'erence  of  the  vegetation.  These  undulations  are 
of  the  greatest  practical  importance  to  the  inhabitants, 
and  particularly  so  to  the  European  immigrant  who 
dedicates  himself  to  agriculture  in  preference  to 
grazing.  Eich  farms  and  flourishing  communities, 
where  the  waving  wheat  attracts  our  attention, 
satisfactorily  prove  this  assertion. 

"  These  agricultural  settlements  are  particularly 
met  within  the  canadas  or  flat  depressions,  at  the 
bottom  of  which  small  lakes  are  often  found,  which 
provide  the  necessary  water  for  man  and  beast :  but 
when  failing  these,  it  can  nearly  always  be  procured 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  63 

by  sinking  shallow  wells.  In  these  valleys  nature 
also  indicates,  by  the  tender  herbage  intermixed  with 
flowers,  those  conditions  most  favourable  to  vegetation, 
and  there  the  cultivated  plants  find  a  relative  abund- 
ance of  water  and  a  rich  virgin  soil,  charged  with 
soluble  and  nutritive  mineral  substances," 

In  writing  of  the  flora  of  the  country  the  same 
author  continues  : — "  The  principal  characteristic  in 
the  Pampa  formation  is  the  complete  absence  of 
ligneous  plants,  with  the  exceptions  mentioned  below. 
We  do  not  know  a  single  tree,  nor  yet  a  bush,  which 
belongs  to  this  formation,  whilst  another  character- 
istic is  the  predomination  of  the  Gramineae;  the 
Pampa  is  really  a  rich  pasture-ground.  The  flora  is 
poor  and  monotonous,  it  being  here  where  the  rule 
which  governs  all  Flora  Argentina  is  particularly  de- 
monstrated ;  viz.,  that  the  predominion  of  the  social 
plants  usurps  and  diminishes  the  diversity  of  sjDecies, 
above  all  in  a  country  born  of  the  waves  of  the  sea, 
within  a  relatively  short  period — a  rule  which  singu- 
larly facilitates  the  task  of  the  agriculturist  and  the 
grazer,  because  the  social  plants  are  exactly  those 
which  are  of  the  greatest  importance  to  these  occu- 
pations. 

"  Therefore  great  herds  of  cattle  took  possession 
of  these  pastures,  where  in  the  beginning  they  bred 
and  increased  without  the  intervention  of  man. 
Thus,  as  some  few  seeds  of  many  European  plants 
have  fallen  upon  the  fertile  soil  of  this  Republic, 
germinating    and    producing    new   seed   which    has 


64  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

increased  and  conquered  the  indigenous  plants  in 
the  struggle  for  existence,  so  also  multiplied  the 
reduced  number  of  horses  and  cows  which  were  im- 
ported, and  formed  immense  herds  without  the  aid  of 
man.  Thus  these  pastures,  so  favourable  for  the 
raisino;  of  cattle,  constitute  the  chief  interest  of  the 
Pampa.  The  Pampa  changes  its  aspect  owing  par- 
ticularly to  the  browsing  of  the  sheep,  which  causes 
the  hard  and  isolated  grasses  to  disappear,  and  replaces 
them  by  a  compact  pasture  of  tender  and  shorter 
herbage." 

^ '"  The  inhabitants  of  the  plain  distinguish  two 
species  of  grasses  relatively  different ;  one  of  them 
has  received  the  general  name  of  pasto  duro — hard 
grass,  and  the  other  that  of  pasto  blando  ^ — or  soft 
grass.  The  first  consists  essentially  of  Gramineae, 
which  produce  up  to  the  period  of  flowering  an  excel- 
lent nourishment,  that  on  account  of  its  length  and 
hardness  is  better  for  cows  and  horses  than  for  sheep. 
It  dries  after  flowering,  and  then  its  leaves  become 
as  hard  as  straw,  and  lose  the  greatest  part  of  their 
nutritive  substances ;  nevertheless  the  animals  can 
subsist  upon  it  still  for  some  months. 

"  '  The  soft  grass  is  composed  partly  of  Gramineae 
more  or  less  tender  and  savoury,  which  the  inhabitant 
of  the  country  knows  under  the  name  of  geamillas  ; 
it  is  partly  composed  of  some  herbaceous  and  savoury 
plants.     Of  the  last  we  will  only  mention  the  most 

^  Extracted  by  Prof.  Loreiitz  from  a  pam])lilet  by  Messrs.  Heusser  and  Claraz. 
2  Pasto  tikkno. 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  65 

generalised,  viz.  two  species  of  trebol — the  ordinary 
clover  and  the  sweet-scented  clover ;  a  species  of 
Erodium,  called  alfilerillo,  especially  found  in  are- 
naceous soil ;  and  the  spotted  thistle — cardo  asnal 
— whose  leaves  are  an  appetising  nourishment  for 
both  sheep  and  horned  cattle.  Until  the  formation 
of  the  seed,  these  annual  plants  constitute  a  truly 
excellent  and  agreeable  nourishment,  especially  for 
sheep  ;  but  after  the  maturity  of  the  seed  they  entirely 
die,  and  when  there  is  an  extraordinary  drought,  the 
soil  is  left  completely  bare,  to  such  a  degree  that  the 
animals  are  reduced  to  eat  such  seeds  and  dry  re- 
mains of  these  Gramineae  as  may  be  found.  There 
are  broad  districts,  particularly  in  the  southern  por- 
tion of  the  Province  of  Buenos  Aires,  w^here  every 
summer  they  are  so  entirely  stripped  of  vegetation 
that  the  animals,  not  finding  any  nourishment,  have 
to  be  transported  to  other  points.^  In  the  virgin 
fields  of  the  Pampa,  the  tw^o  grasses  are  mixed.  In 
general  the  pasto  duro  predominates  in  the  more 
elevated  points,  whilst  the  trebol  and  the  alfilerillo 
are  only  seen  between  the  isolated  tufts  of  the  grasses  ; 
i.e.  the  trebol,  or  clover,  in  the  argillaceous  soil  of 
the  north,  and  the  alfilerillo  in  the  arenaceous  soil 
of  the  south. 

"  '  This  last  plant,  which  spreads  even  to  Chile, 
always  springs  up  afresh  in  all  seasons  after  rain. 
The  first  has  the  same  property,  but  it  also  has  the 
disadvantage  that  its  seeds  are  a  species  of  burr,  called 

^  This  is  no  longer  the  case. — H.  G. 
F 


66  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

here  caeetilla,  which  sticks  in  the  wool  and  dimin- 
ishes its  value.  In  the  lower  parts  of  the  true  Pampa 
the  sweet-smelling  clover  and  the  soft  Gramineae 
abound.  In  the  cjuagmires  a  miry  vegetation  similar 
to  that  of  Europe  is  found,  among  which  various 
species  of  Carex  are  conspicuous.  The  plants  of  this 
genus  are  called  pastos  agrios  ^ — bitter  pastures — by 
the  Gaucho,  as  a  contrast  to  all  the  others  already 
mentioned,  which  he  calls  pastos  bulges — sweet  pas- 
tures. An  aquatic  vegetation  exists  on  the  shores  of 
the  rivers  and  lakes,  which  corresponds  to  that  of 
Europe  ;  that  is  to  say,  it  is  of  the  same  genera  repre- 
sented by  different  species — a  Dypha,  a  Plialaris,  etc. 
A  species  of  Gyneriiim  is  produced  also,  properly  be- 
longing to  the  Pampas,  which  is  quite  generalised, 
and  whose  size  is  a  proof  of  the  humidity  and  excellent 
quality  of  the  soil ;  it  is  called  the  gortadera.  By 
and  by,  some  species  of  the  group  of  the  Agaves  called 
card  as  are  found,  which  it  is  necessary  not  to  con- 
found with  the  CARDOS  already  mentioned.  The  first 
are  plants  which  belong  to  the  natural  flora  of  the 
country,  whilst  the  second,  although  very  abundant, 
were  imported.  On  the  south  both  the  soil  and  the 
vegetation  become  more  and  more  salty  ;  saline  eflSor- 
escences  are  found  scattered  over  the  whole  of  the 
Province  of  Buenos  Aires,  and  real  salt  beds  of 
common  salt,  more  or  less  fine,  appear  in  the  west 
and  south.  A  vegetation  of  salt  plants,  of  which  the 
commonest  are  the  Scdicornias,  called  here  jume,  is 

'  Pastos  amargos. 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  e^ 

found  on  the  edges  of  these  deposits,  as  well  as  on 
various  points  of  the  coast. 

"  '  Tliis  abundant  distribution  of  salt  in  the  fields 
of  Buenos  Aires  gives  them  a  great  advantage  over 
those  of  the  north.  In  the  central  parts  of  the  Pro- 
vince of  Entre  Rios,  we  have  seen  that  the  animals 
travel  over  distances  of  several  hours,  looking  for  the 
salt  earths  to  lick  them.'  " 

Having  purchased  his  land,  the  farmer  should 
study  the  stock-carrying  capacity  of  it,  the  nature  of 
its  grasses,  the  climate,  and  the  elevation  of  the  land 
in  order  to  determine  what  class  of  sheep  is  best  suited 
for  it,  and  the  number  he  may  venture  to  introduce 
per  square  mile,  as  well  as  the  amount  of  cattle  neces- 
sary to  keep  down  the  stronger  vegetation  and  im- 
prove the  herbage.  The  farther  he  travels  from  the 
heavily-stocked  lands  of  the  seaboard,  and  from  the 
populated  centres,  the  more  sparse  and  coarse  will  he 
find  the  vegetation.  This  is  but  the  natural  state  of 
the  unstocked  and  virgin  lands  he  has  selected ;  and 
it  is  only  a  matter  of  years,  and  the  grazing  of  cattle 
and  sheep  upon  the  land,  to  bring  its  herbage  to  the 
same  quality  and  fineness  of  that  found  upon  the 
older  and  more  valuable  lands. 

Sliepheyxling. — The  primitive,  and  even  to-day 
general  method  of  tending  sheep  is  to  shepherd  them. 
A  flock  of  from  1200  to  2000  head  (the  latter  number 
being  far  too  great)  is  placed  under  the  charge  of  a 
shepherd,  who  is  frequently  paid  with  a  fourth  part 
of  the  profits  accruing  from   the  flock.     He  is  sup- 


68  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

plied  with  a  house,  an  enclosure  for  a  garden,  and 
a  yard  in  which  to  work  the  flock.  He  is  allowed, 
in  some  cases,  to  kill  out  of  the  flock  when  he  re- 
quires mutton,  and  in  others  he  is  supplied  with  meat 
fi'om  the  head  station.  If  he  is  paid  by  a  profit-share 
of  the  flock,  he  supplies  himself  with  all  the  neces- 
saries of  life,  and  finds  himself  in  horses ;  if  on  a 
monthly  wage,  these  are  generally  supplied  by  his 
employer.  The  usual  monthly  wage  is  equal  to  from 
50s.  to  £4,  and  perhaps  a  small  sum  for  each  lamb 
marked  and  tallied.  He  is  allowed  to  grow  as  many 
vegetables  as  he  wishes  for  his  own  consumption,  as 
well  as  to  keep  hens  and  other  domestic  fowls,  and  a 
pig  or  two  if  he  wishes  it.  The  employer  generally 
provides  him  with  a  milch  cow,  and  expects  him  to 
tame  another  one  brought  from  the  mob.  His 
monthly  rations  consist  of  12 J  lbs.  of  yerha  or  Para- 
guayan tea,  or  its  equivalent  in  Asiatic  tea,  6  lbs.  of 
rice,  and  salt.  Others  allow  him  25  lbs.  of  "camp" 
or  sea  biscuit,  and  8  lbs.  of  sugar  as  well.  If  he  is 
paid  by  a  profit-share  he  is  expected  to  find  all  these 
things  himself. 

His  duties  are  to  tend  his  flock  day  and  night ;  to 
keep  it  from  mixing  with  other  flocks  which  run  on 
the  same  estate  when  there  is  no  divisionary  fence 
between  the  several  runs ;  to  keep  it  free  from  scab 
and  other  contagious  and  accidental  diseases ;  to 
keep  dogs  ofi",  and  see  that  no  sheep  wanders  astray  ; — 
in  short,  to  generally  shepherd  his  charges.  All  this 
he  does  upon  horseback,   and  dogs  are  seldom  em- 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  69 

ployed,  as  tliey  run  wild  and  cause  great  havoc.  So 
great  is  the  number  of  useless  curs  to  be  found  in 
every  small  local  town,  and  upon  every  estate  where 
they  are  not  strictly  prohibited,  that  they  are  become 
one  of  the  greatest  scourges  of  the  country,  and 
breeders  have  got  so  exasperated  at  the  losses  sus- 
tained through  their  stock  being  worried,  that  they  will 
not  now  discriminate  between  a  prowling  mongrel  and 
a  faithful  collie,  but  banish  them  alike  from  their  land. 

This  is  shepherding  in  the  open,  without  enclosing 
the  flock  in  a  paddock.  The  sheep  wander  away 
from  the  house  in  the  morning  in  the  direction  whence 
the  wind  blows,  and  graze  in  the  roundabouts  of  the 
shepherd's  abode,  returning  in  the  evening  to  the 
rodeo  or  roding,  in  the  vicinity  of  their  pastor's 
dwelling,  where  they  lie  down  peacefully  to  sleep 
until  the  morning.  The  system  has  the  advantage  in 
not  occasioning  any  outlay,  and  the  sheep  tended  in 
this  manner  possibly  graze  upon  a  greater  variety  of 
grasses  than  they  would  if  limited  to  the  circum- 
scribed area  of  a  paddock.  But,  on  the  other  hand, 
they  are  more  exposed  to  contagious  diseases,  and  do 
not  use  the  herbas;e  of  the  land  to  its  fullest  advantasfe. 

The  paddock  system  is  of  recent  introduction  to 
the  Argentine,  and  though  it  represents  considerable 
outlay  in  fences,  it  is  undoubtedly  both  economical  in 
the  long-run,  and  enables  the  breeder  to  place  more 
stock  on  the  same  area.  It  is  not  always  practicable, 
for  in  parts  of  the  country  where  the  land  is  low  and 
intersected  with  swamps,  the  feeding  ground  varies 


70  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

according  to  the  season,  and  pastures  which  at  one 
period  of  the  year,  or,  indeed,  perhaps  during  two  or 
more  years,  are  useless  for  grazing,  become  necessary 
to  the  stock  in  a  wet  or  dry  season  as  the  case  may 
be.  In  such  districts  it  would  be  injudicious  to  put 
up  too  many  divisionary  fences,  though  some  general 
ones  would  be  of  use,  and  help  to  reduce  the  annual 
working  expenditure. 

The  use  of  paddocks  has  a  fourfold  advantage  : 
— 1.  The  reduction  of  working  expenses.  2.  The 
stock  are  at  liberty,  graze  in  freedom,  and  eat  right 
up  to  the  fence  line.  3.  Such  contagious  diseases  as 
scab  can  be  treated  in  a  more  thorough,  systematic, 
and  efficacious  manner.  4.  An  improved  breeding 
system,  including  the  classification  and  grading  of 
stock,  can  be  practised.  General  paddocks  of  an  area 
of  from  3000  to  5000  acres  may  be  fenced  ofi',  such 
paddocks  being  capable  of  carrying  from  5000  up  to 
10,000  sheep,  as  well  as  cattle.  The  shepherd's 
duties  are  limited  to  riding  daily  through  the  en- 
closure, seeing  that  no  sheep  has  fallen,  got  cast,  or 
died  through  the  night,  revising  the  fence  to  see  that 
it  is  in  perfect  order,  and  performing  other  offices  of  a 
similar  nature.  One  man  can  in  this  manner  tend 
up  to  5000  sheep.  Yards  for  working  stock  under 
these  conditions  have  to  be  larger  and  more  studiously 
constructed  than  in  the  case  of  sheep  tended  in  the 
open.  The  most  important  points  in  this  will  be 
found  in  the  plan  of  a  yard  given  later  on  in  this 
chapter.     The  stock  being  left  at  liberty  are  less  sub- 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  71 

ject  to  contagious  disease,  though  great  care  must  be 
exercised  not  to  allow  any  epidemic,  such  as  scab,  to 
gain  a  foothold  in  the  paddock.  Treating  with  long- 
wools,  the  number  kept  in  one  enclosure  should  not 
exceed  4000  head,  in  the  writer's  opinion.  With  me- 
rinos a  greater  number  can  be  allowed  to  run  together, 
though  even  with  these  there  is  a  limit,  8000  head  being 
as  many  as  it  is  judicious  to  keep  in  one  paddock. 
Where  the  breeding  is  conducted  with  some  discrimi- 
nation,  and  the  classes  of  sheep  carefully  studied, 
smaller  paddocks  are  used,  carrying  anything  from 
500  up  to  2000  head.  One  shepherd  can  attend  to 
two,  three,  or  four  of  such  paddocks  if  his  house  be 
placed  at  the  point  of  intersection  of  the  divisionary 
fences.  Wherever  the  land  admits  of  it,  the  intro- 
duction of  paddocks  is  convenient,  and  if  they  occa- 
sion additional  outlay  in  their  construction,  the 
improved  results  on  the  sheep-farm  will  pay  a  hand- 
some dividend  upon  the  capital  so  employed. 

Shecuing. — This,  the  most  important  occurrence 
in  the   annual  history   of  the   sheep-farm,  generally      / 
commences    in   the  first  fortnight  of   October,    and 
should  be  terminated  before  the  first   fortnioht   of 

o 

December,  before  the  grass  seeds  and  burrs  have 
begun  to  come  away  and  get  into  the  fleece.  It  is 
not  customary  to  wash  the  sheep  before  shearing 
them.  There  is  little  supply  of  running  water,  and 
it  is  said  that  the  grease  of  the  wool  preserves  it 
better  on  its  homeward  journey.  Manufacturers  also 
state  that  ten  pounds  of  greasy  wool  will  spin  out  a 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


greater  quantity  of  yarn,  if  remitted  to  Europe  in  a 
natural  state,  than  the  same  quantity  washed  before 
shipping.  This  apparent  inclination  on  the  part  of 
the  European  manufacturers  to  favour  unwashed 
wool,  together  with  the  outlay  connected  with 
putting  up  an  expensive  washing  plant  where 
running  water  cannot  be  obtained,  and  the  reduc- 
tion of  the  time  during  which  the  sheep  is  handled, 
form  sufficiently  good  reasons  for  shearing  the  wool 
in  the  grease. 

A  plan  is  here  given  of  a  yard  for  shearing  sheep. 
If  the  part  where  the  sheep  are  shorn  is  roofed  over, 
as  in  the  accompanying  sketch,  it  is  a  great  improve- 
ment, and  both  men  and  sheep  suffer  less.  The 
sheep  are  driven  into  the  yard  and  caught  by  men 
whose  whole  duty  is  to  attend  to  this  department. 
They  tie  three  legs  of  the  sheep  together,  and  place 
the  animals  conveniently  near  the  shearers,  the  legs 
being  tied  with  a  thong  made  of  teased  rags  or  sheep- 
skin. These  men  are  paid  from  12d.  to  15d.  per 
hundred,  and  one  catcher  is  supposed  to  be  sufficient 
to  supply  ten  shearers.  The  shearers  are  paid  from, 
7s.  to  10s.  per  hundred.  Operations  are  begun  at 
the  shoulder,  after  which  the  neck  wool  is  removed, 
and  the  shears  work  back  over  the  ribs  and  Cjuarter; 
the  belly  wool  is  left  until  last,  and  removed  sepa- 
rately. Each  shearer  should  have  a  small  pen, 
capable  of  holding  from  15  to  20  shorn  sheep,  and 
as  he  finishes  the  shearing  of  an  animal  he  turns 
it  into  this  small  enclosure.     When  the  pen  is  full  he 


To  /a./:^pa^e  72 


SHEARING     SHED    and    YARDS 

J)imeTLsi/>T)^   of  (SJvearin^Tard.     42/77.  X  JSmy. 
„  „      Shjeccrers' P^na       2 m  ,  x    ^^rny. 

a  a,.  Passages  bet.  Shearers  Pens 


Sczile  {ji  Metres 
J  1030 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  73 

calls  the  overseer,  who  revises  the  shorn  animals,  and 
if  they  are  all  carefully  clipped,  free  of  cuts,  and  all 
the  leg  locks  neatly  removed,  he  counts  them  out, 
givino-  the  shearer  tokens  for  the  number.  If  he 
finds  any  badly  shorn  he  reprimands  the  man  ;  if  the 
ofifence  is  repeated  he  discounts  the  badly-shorn  ani- 
mals ;  and  if  carelessness  continues  he  dismisses  the 
shearer.  I  may  here  remark  that  the  shearers  and 
other  men  employed  at  the  work — the  former  being 
chiefly  natives,  and  the  latter  Spaniards,  Basques, 
and  Italians — are  all  obedient  and  attentive  to  their 
work,  and  there  has  been  no  experience  of  the  strikes 
and  troubles  created  by  the  same  class  of  men  in 
Australia. 

The  fleeces  are  collected  by  boys,  who  earn  a 
monthly  wage  of  from  £1 :  10s.  to  £2,  and  carried  by 
them  to  the  tying  tables.  AYhere  there  is  a  wool-shed 
connected  with  the  yard,  as  in  the  plan  facing  page 
72,  there  are  long  horizontal  shutters,  or  open  windows, 
in  the  wall  of  the  shed  nearest  the  yard,  and  the 
tying  tables  are  placed  underneath  these  windows 
at  a  heio-ht  of  three  feet  from  the  OTound.  Here  each 
fleece  is  rolled  up  separately,  with  the  under  wool  on 
the  outside,  and  tied  in  a  neat  parcel  with  jute  twine. 
It  is  to  be  hoped  that  in  a  few  years  this  objectionable 
habit  of  tying  w^ith  twine  will  be  abandoned,  the  small 
pieces  of  twine  getting  into  the  fleece  and  causing 
trouble  to  the  manufacturer.  The  wool-tyers,  who 
also  bag  up  the  wool,  are  generally  contracted  for 
by    the    piece,    receiving    from    14d.    to    IGd.    per 


74  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

liimclred.  If  the  fleeces  are  to  be  classified  for  the 
home  market  they  are  thrown  by  the  wool-tyers  to 
the  centre  of  the  classifying  floor,  where  the  sorter 
separates  them  into  their  corresponding  divisions. 
If  the  wool  is  for  sale  in  the  Buenos  Aires  market, 
or  for  delivery  to  a  local  buyer,  the  fleeces  are 
bagged  up  immediately  and  stow^ed  away.  The 
belly  wool  and  pieces  are  bagged  separately.  It  is 
customary  to  shear  the  lambs  at  an  early  age,  and 
not  leave  the  wool  on  them  until  they  become 
shearlino;s.  The  lambs'  fleeces  are  not  tied,  but 
are  bagged  up  on  the  shearing  boards.  The  shearers 
are  paid  half-price  for  the  lamb-shearing. 

It  is  usual  to  employ  as  many  of  the  permanent 
labourers  of  the  estate  as  possible,  but  of  course  these 
are  not  sufficient,  and  others  are  hired  from  elsewhere 
for  the  shearing  season.  All  alike  get  three  meals 
per  diem,  viz.  one  at  8  a.m.,  one  at  mid-day,  and  one 
at  sunset.  The  shearers  are  usually  supplied  with  a 
ration  of  1  lb.  of  yerba,  or  Paraguayan  tea,  per  week, 
and  the  cooking  is  done  for  them  by  a  man  hired  by 
the  sheep-breeder.  Payment  can  either  be  made  by 
cheques  upon  some  neighbouring  store,  or  in  cash. 
It  is  a  rule  only  to  pay  out  on  Saturdays,  and  never 
to  allow  a  labourer  to  withdraw  more  than  50  per 
cent  of  his  earnings  until  the  whole  of  the  shearing  is 
concluded  and  the  hands  paid  ofi". 

Shearing  is  commenced  as  early  in  the  day  as  pos- 
sible, and  the  morning  dew  is  not,  as  some  suppose, 
a  motive  for  delay  in  beginning  the  day's  w^ork.     In 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  75 

the  writer's  opinion  the  wool  is  all  the  better  for 
having  a  little  clew  on  it  when  removed  from  the 
sheep.  It  is  well  known  that  in  Spain  it  is  the 
custom  to  water  the  wool,  after  shearing,  with  a 
watering-pot, — not  to  increase  the  weight,  but  to 
freshen  the  staple.  Whether  there  be  any  advantage 
in  this  is  questionable,  but  w^ool  never  heats,  nor  is 
deteriorated,  through  having  been  clipped  when  the 
dew  is  still  on  the  oround.  Half  an  hour  is  allow^ed 
for  breakfast  at  8  a.m.,  and  an  hour  at  mid-day,  but 
with  these  two  exceptions  the  work  continues  steadily 
from  sun-up  to  sun-down. 

Shearing  machines  have  been  as  yet  little  intro- 
duced into  the  country.  The  outlay  occasioned  by 
their  instalment  is  a  large  one,  and  the  question  of 
fuel  is  a  still  more  serious  draw^back  to  their  adoption. 
The  natives  are  rapid  and  neat  shearers.  An  average 
man  will  clip  from  40  to  50  sheep  per  diem.  I  have 
known  an  exceptionally  dexterous  man  to  shear  108 
Lincoln  cross  sheep  in  one  day,  and  deliver  them  all 
to  the  overseer  neatly  and  properly  shorn. 

Drafting,  Culling,  and  Sales. — Immediately  after 
shearing,  the  breeder  has  two  important  matters  to 
which  to  attend.  The  first  of  these  is  the  scrupulous 
revision  of  his  stock,  to  cure  the  scab  and  any  other 
malady,  and  get  all  such  disorders  well  in  hand  while 
the  wool  is  still  short,  the  stock  healthy  and  strong, 
and  the  ewes  empty.  He  should  particularly 
endeavour  to  get  his  great  enemy,  the  scab,  subju- 
gated, and  daily  revision  and  periodical  dipping  are 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


matters  of  first  necessity.  This  subject  is  specially 
treated  in  another  chapter. 

He  has  also  now  to  consider  what  stock  is  to  be  sold. 
The  wool  has  been  removed,  and  the  sooner  the  sale 
stock  are  off  the  better.  They  are  not  going  to  give 
him  any  more  wool  or  lambs,  so  keeping  them  a  day 
longer  than  is  absolutely  necessary  is  a  waste  of 
money.  The  wethers  of  two  years  and  upwards  can 
go  to  the  market  as  soon  as  they  are  fat  enough. 
Aged  ew^es,  defective  ewes,  or  those  unfit  to  suckle 
another  lamb,  should  all  be  culled  and  fattened  for 
the  butcher.  Every  ewe  which  will  not  give  a  mini- 
mum fleece  of  5  lbs.  of  wool,  and  rear  a  healthy  lamb, 
is  an  encumbrance  to  the  estate  and  should  be  sold  off. 
Finally,  he  must  select  the  inferior  stock  he  intends 
to  sell  to  brother  farmers  for  breeding  purposes, 
calculatino;  the  number  he  is  o-oino-  to  sell  of  each  of 
these  three  divisions  of  sale  stock  so  as  to  reduce  his 
flocks  to  their  normal  number. 

The  most  important  operation  in  this  preparation 
for  selling  stock,  is  the  culling  of  the  flocks  to  select 
the  most  inferior  in  quality  and  dispose  of  them.  All 
this  inferior  stock  which  he  thus  removes,  and  which 
represents  the  total  remainder  of  what  he  has  to  sell, 
should  be  collected  into  one  or  two  paddocks,  for  by 
this  time  he  will  probably  have  one  or  two  vacated 
by  the  sales  of  Avethers  and  shot  ewes.  This  de- 
graded flock  is  now  what  he  has  to  dispose  of,  and 
he  must  content  himself  w^tli  a  moderate  price,  as  it 
is  to  his  advantage  to  rid  himself  of  his  most  inferior 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  77 

stock.  He  should  have  a  care  however  iu  this  cuUino- 
operation  not  to  deal  with  breeding  ewes  with  too 
heavy  a  hand,  or  his  next  year's  lambing  will  be 
woefully  curtailed.  He  should  always  bear  in  mind 
that  a  ewe  wdiich  has  given  one  or  two  lambs  is  never 
so  filUng  to  the  eye  as  the  virgin  gimmer  of  18 
months,  though  the  latter  may  be  in  reality  the 
inferior  animal. 

This  work  and  the  attention  to  the  health  of  the 
stock  will  keep  the  sheep -breeder  busy  until  the 
month  of  April.  The  months  between  shearino-  and 
this  date  are  those  in  which  he  must  be  ever  up  and 
doino-. 

o 

By  January  he  should  have  revised  all  the  tups, 
rejected  those  whose  quality  and  type  are  not  up  to 
the  mark,  and  replaced  them  with  others  until  the 
ram  complement  is  made  up.  If  he  breeds  merinos, 
this  should  be  done  by  October,  and  the  tups  should 
be  running  in  the  flocks  by  the  end  of  that  month. 
If  he  breeds  long-wools  the  tups  should  be  in  the 
flocks  by  the  middle  of  December.  In  the  case  of 
the  former  class  of  sheep,  lambing  commences  in 
March,  and  goes  on  through  April  and  part  of  May ; 
with  the  other  breeds  it  commences  in  June  and  o-oes 
on  until  the  end  of  August.  In  the  south  the  lambino- 
is  generally  later  than  in  the  north. 

For  the  drafting,  culling,  and  other  manipulation 
of  the  flock  it  is  of  first  importance  to  have  suitable 
yards.  A  large  enclosure,  with  a  smaller  one  at  the 
end  of  it,  the  sides  made  of  dilapidated  hurdles  and 


78  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

loose  wires,  where  the  sheep  escape  through  half  a 
dozen  places,  and  where,  to  drive  them  into  the 
smaller  enclosure,  or  pen,  a  noisy  troop  of  men 
waving  sticks  and  coats  and  rending  the  welkin  with 
uncouth  yells,  are  employed — this  is  the  sum  of  a 
description  of  the  average  sheep-yard  in  the  Argentine. 
No  proper  drafting  or  culling  can  be  carried  on  in 
such  a  yard ;  not  only  are  the  sheep  unnecessarily 
fatigued  and  frightened,  but  the  men  themselves  get 
tired,  lose  patience,  and  "scamp"  the  work.  A 
sketch  is  here  given  of  a  twin  yard,  where  whilst  one 
flock  is  being  worked  through  the  dipping  bath  for 
scab,  another  one  can  be  handled  at  the  same  time 
for  drafting,  culling,  or  similar  purposes.  This  combi- 
nation is  a  convenient  one,  as  the  more  important 
operations  in  a  flock  are  generally  executed  at  a 
central  spot,  usually  at  the  steading  itself.  It  has 
moreover  this  additional  advantage,  that,  when  owing 
to  rainy  weather  and  constant  working  of  flocks,  one 
portion  has  got  muddy  and  dirty,  the  other  side  can 
be  used.  The  scale  of  this  plan  is  one  sufficient  to 
w^ork  flocks  not  exceeding  1500  head  in  ;  but  most  of 
the  appliances  for  a  rapid  and  handy  manipulation  of 
stock  are  contained  in  it,  and  the  scale  can  be  increased 
to  suit  the  convenience  of  the  breeder.  If  a  yard  is 
required,  independent  of  the  dipping-bath  plant,  a 
suitable  one  can  readily  be  designed  on  the  same 
principle  as  the  twin  yard  here  represented.  The 
following  are  the  principles  upon  which  all  yards 
should  be  constructed  : — Form,  as  circular  as  possible  ; 


Tofa-ce^pa^e  78. 


TWIN     YARD 


DIPPING,    CULLING,  PR  AFTING  ,  Etc. 


A.   A.    WORKING    PENS. 


U  WIDTH    OF  RACES 65Centiivi 

z 


RUNNING     GATE 

y  •  JO 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  79 

avoid  acute  angles.  Sheep  are  easiest  penned  where 
the  succession  of  enclosures  are  rotary.  Sheep  run 
readily  up  an  ascent,  but  are  loth  to  descend  ;  there- 
fore place  the  pens  on  an  elevation.  Sheep  in  a 
circumscribed  space  are  not  easily  driven  ;  they  more 
willingly  run  in  the  direction  whence  the  person,  who 
desires  to  drive  them,  comes.  Therefore  in  circular 
yards  don't  get  behind  your  sheep  ;  start  from  the  pen 
wherein  you  desire  to  enclose  them,  and  walk  towards 
them.  Gates :  These  should  not  be  tied,  or  open  as 
one  opens  an  ordinary  gate.  They  should  run 
between  upright  posts  so  as  not  to  be  in  the  way 
either  on  one  side  of  the  pen  or  the  other.  They  are 
more  rapidly  opened  and  closed  when  so  arranged. 
Parting  gates  for  races  should  swing  easily  on 
hino-es. 

The  centre  oval  is  for  workino-  a  flock  when  it 
is  not  necessary  to  throw  down  the  animals.  The 
overseer  is  in  the  central  division,  which  is  only  2  ft. 
6  inches  wide,  and  can  walk  from  one  extremity  to 
the  other.  Upon  one  side  the  animals  are  being  run 
out  and  drafted  and  the  race  refilled,  while  on  the 
other  the  overseer  is  inspecting  the  sheep.  This 
construction  is  very  convenient  when  wethers  are 
being  separated,  ages  sorted,  and  similar  operations 
practised. 

Lambing. — One  month  at  least  before  the  first 
lamb  is  due,  the  flocks  should  all  be  as  tranquil  as 
possible.  By  this  time  the  scab  and  any  other 
contagious  disease  should  be  stamped  out  if  jDossible. 


8o  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

All  sales  should  have  been  terminated,  and  the  stock 
reduced  to  its  winter  capital.  Everything  depends 
upon  the  tranquillity  of  the  flocks  during  the  lambing 
season,  and  the  shepherd  should  be  ever  with  them. 
The  great  mortality  in  lambs  in  the  Argentine  every 
year  is  in  considerable  part  due  to  the  negligence  of 
the  breeder  and  his  shepherds  ;  and  from  6  to  1 0  per 
cent  of  the  annual  increase  is  lost  from  a  lack  of  the 
most  commonplace  care.  The  good  results  of  timely 
dipping  for  the  scab  are  apparent  now,  for  the 
shepherd  may  venture  to  leave  his  flock  free  from 
treatment  for  this  disease  during  all  or  most  of  the 
winter.  What  a  difi'erence  is  evident  between  such  a 
flock  and  one  where  the  pastor  has  said  to  himself 
that  there  was  plenty  of  time  and  the  shearing  was 
still  far  distant  I  Now,  in  the  depth  of  winter,  when 
the  days  are  short  and  the  weather  frecjuently  in- 
clement, must  the  ragged  sheep  be  brought  to  the 
muddy  yard  and  there  remain  most  of  the  day,  whilst 
their  wretched  lambs,  floundering  weakly  in  the  filthy 
mire,  bleat  piteously  in  vain  lament  for  their  mothers. 
During  the  winter  season  the  sheep-breeder  finds 
time  to  attend  to  the  upkeep  of  his  establishment; 
the  repair  of  the  buildings  and  fences,  ditching, 
attending  to  the  tree  plantations,  and  similar  occupa- 
tions. One  month  or  six  weeks  after  the  lambing 
comes  the  operation  of  ear-marking,  docking,  and 
castration — all  too  simple  and  too  frequently  explained 
in  standard  works  on  sheep-breeding  to  deserve  detailed 
description  here. 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


And  by  this  time  it  is  necessary  to  start  prepara- 
tions for  the  next  shearing,  and  the  year's  routine  is 
complete. 

Winter  Fodder  for  Sheep. — It  is  the  fate  of 
flock-masters  in  this  country  to  see  their  sheep 
enter  the  winter  in  good  condition,  and  then 
gradually  lose  flesh  and  fall  ofi*  until  spring,  when 
the  early  grasses  begin  to  come  away.  Not  only 
does  nature  reduce  the  store  of  food,  but  the  days 
become  shorter  and  the  sheep  have  not  time  to 
gather  the  grass  necessary  for  a  perfect  maintenance, 
— a  difiiculty  not  wholly  obviated  by  the  paddock 
system,  as  sheep  will  not  willingly  feed  at  night. 
The  result  of  this  shortened  provision  of  pasture  and 
reduced  time  for  consuming  it  is  naturally  detri- 
mental ;  the  lamb  -  bearing  ewe  is  ill  -  prepared  for 
rearing  her  offspring,  the  hogget's  development  is 
thrown  back,  and  the  growth  of  w^ool  in  the  whole 
flock  is  seriously  retarded  and  injured.  All  that  has 
been  gained  durino-  the  summer  months  is  now  lost. 
The  weakly  animals  die  off,  and  the  capital  of  the 
sheep-breeder  hibernates  in  the  worst  possible  sense 
of  the  w^ord. 

Nature  has,  of  course,  provided  for  this  seasonable 
languishment ;  but  it  behoves  man,  w^ho  has  in  the 
case  of  domesticated  animals  taken  the  responsibility 
from  nature's  shoulders  as  it  were,  and  appointed 
periods  for  the  breeding  and  the  removal  of  the 
fleece,  to  fulfil  his  charges.  He  has  rendered  the 
sheep  an  almost  artificial  animal,  and  he  must  now 

G 


82  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

have   recourse   to   artificial   means    for   its    nourish- 
ment. 

In  Scotland,  where  large  flocks  of  sheep  are 
maintained  almost  all  the  year  round  upon  natural 
herbage,  the  shepherd  has  found  it  necessary  to 
provide  extra  fodder  in  the  winter  time.  He  does 
this  by  either  enclosing  of  the  land  belonging  to  the 
"  hirsell "  or  run,  or  by  cutting  the  hay  upon  the 
inaccessible  bog  and  marsh  land  in  the  summer 
months,  and  stacking  it.  When  the  severity  of 
winter  reduces  the  natural  forage,  he  doles  out  a 
ration  of  this  hay,  calculating  the  daily  supply  at 
from  two  to  two  and  a  half  pounds  per  head ;  and 
by  this  means  he  brings  his  fleecy  charges  through 
the  most  trying  season  of  the  year. 

In  Australia,  a  practice  somewhat  similar  exists. 
To  provide  against  heavy  droughts  and  scant  winter 
forage,  large  stacks  of  natural  hay  have  been  made, 
which  have  done  good  service  in  untoward  seasons. 
The  suggestion,  therefore,  is  based  upon  the  example 
set  by  other  sheep-rearing  countries,  and  is  not  to 
be  confounded  with  the  breeding  of  sheep  upon  arable 
lands. 

Sheep-breeding  in  the  Argentine  is  carried  on  in 
such  a  wholesale  manner  that  there  is  too  much 
carelessness  in  looking  after  the  pence ;  a  writing-off" 
of  losses  in  aged  ewes  and  young  lambs  as  a  natural 
and  necessary  discount ;  a  treating  of  flocks  in  their 
thousands  without  a  sufficient  individual  solicitude 
for  the  units  which  go  to  compose  them.     And  this 


IX  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  83 

mag-uificent  disreoard  for  detail  becomes  too  soon  a 
second  nature  in  the  foreigner.  So,  in  treating  of  an 
innovation  tliat  certainly  represents  extra  work  and 
care,  it  is  necessary  to  persuade  the  breeder  of  the 
magnitude  of  the  gain  thereby  obtained.  During  the 
winter  months  a  sheep  requires  considerably  more  food 
than  at  any  other,  for  now  a  large  quantity  must  go 
to  support  respiration  and  animal  heat.  With  a 
judicious  supply  of  extra  forage,  the  mortality  in  the 
flocks — always  heaviest  in  the  winter  season — would 
be  reduced ;  the  ewes  would  bring  up  stronger  and 
earlier  developed  lambs ;  the  general  increase  would 
be  sensibly  augmented ;  and  finally  the  wool  would 
be  of  an  even  and  regular  staple  and  would  obtain 
a  better  price  in  the  market.  When  these  notable 
advantages  are  considered,  the  extra  outlay  and 
labour  which  their  attainment  entails  certainly 
appear  insignificant. 

In  sheep  lands  where  there  exist  natural  grasses 
capable  of  giving  a  fair  quantity  of  hay  if  preserved, 
the  most  economical  method  for  providing  extra 
fodder  for  winter  feeding  would  probably  be  in 
fencing  off  a  small  area,  say  15  to  20  hectares,  which 
is  equal  to  from  37  to  50  acres,  for  every  thousand 
head  of  sheep.  The  loss  of  this  pasturage  in  the 
summer  time  would  be  unfelt  by  the  flock,  and  the 
hay  when  rijDe  could  be  cut  and  stocked  for  future 
use.  Stock  could  remain  upon  this  reserve  enclosure 
until  August,  when  all  animals  must  be  removed  ;  the 
natural  grass  would  be  ripe  and  ready  for  hay-making 


84  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

by  the  last  week  in  November,  or  first  in  December. 
A  simple  top-dressing  could  be  obtained  by  using 
this  very  enclosure  in  the  months  of  December  and 
January  for  herding  the  ewes  during  the  tupping 
season  and  thereby  saving  the  rams.  The  cost  of 
enclosing  such  an  area  would  not  exceed  £50,  and 
apart  from  its  primary  object  it  would  be  of  use 
for  many  purposes  during  the  autumn  and  winter 
months. 

But  presuming  that  the  natural  grasses  of  the 
country  were  not  sufiicient  to  make  hay  in  a  profitable 
quantity,  then  lucern  can  be  employed  for  the  same 
purpose.  Calculating  the  production  of  lucern  at 
25,000  kilograms  per  hectare,  equal  to  21,700  lbs. 
per  acre, — which  is  sufficiently  modest, — and  the 
daily  consumption  at  one  kilogram  or  two  to  two  and 
a  quarter  pounds,  then  5  hectares,  or  say  121-  acres, 
would  provide  sufiicient  fodder  to  keep  one  thousand 
sheep  in  excellent  condition  through  the  months  of 
May,  June,  July,  and  August. 

There  is  other  forage  that  could  be  employed 
to  advantage,  such  as  ensilage  of  all  sorts,  roots, 
cabbages,  and  pumpkins.  xA.nd,  of  all  these,  that 
which  most  commends  itself  to  my  mind  is  the 
humble  and  neglected  pumpkin,  whose  kindly  nature, 
embracing  the  cold  support  of  wire  fences  and 
careless  tangled  hedges,  fills  empty  corners  and  bare 
spaces  with  its  generous  and  pervading  growth. 
I  have  seen  a  flock  of  750  picked  ewes  practically 
brought  through  an  untoward  season  upon  pumpkin  ; 


IX  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


85 


the  whole  area  cultivated  with  the  veo-etable  did  not 
exceed  three  and  a  half  acres.  I  have  known 
a  case  in  the  Azul  district  where  a  shepherd  saved 
his  flock  from  ruinous  mortality  through  having 
had  the  foresight  to  sow  pumpkins.  The  sheep 
will  eat  them  readily  if  broken  up  and  scattered 
on  the  ground.  There  is  some  difficulty  in  pre- 
serving them,  as,  if  left  either  in  contact  with  the 
ground  or  with  one  another  they  rot  rapidly.  But 
if  arranged  upon  tiers  of  horizontal  railings,  exposed 
to  the  air  but  not  in  contact  with  one  another,  they 
will  last  until  the  first  week  of  October,  the  Angola 
sorts  preserving  longest.  They  are  not  harmful 
to  ewes  heavy  in  lamb,  or  after  lambing. 

I  append  a  short  table,  collated  from  the  works  of 
Youatt  and  Burns,  Pringle,  and  C.  Scott,  giving  a 
rough  analysis  of  some  of  the  more  common  agents 
in  mutton  and  wool  crpowino;.  It  will  assist  the 
sheep-breeder  to  form  an  estimate  of  the  comparative 
advantages  of  the  cultivation  of  each  crop. 


Water. 

Flesh  and 
fat  formers. 

Woody 
Fibre. 

Ash. 

Maize 

14-50 

79 

5 

1-50 

Turnip  (av.  of  5  sorts)  . 

90 

6-50 

2-50 

1 

Beets  .... 

76-50 

17-50 

5 

2 

Cabbage 

92 

6 

2 

Clover  (av.  of  4  sorts)    . 

80 

13 

5 

2 

Italian  Rye  Grass 

75-50 

17-50 

4-50 

2-50 

Cocksfoot     . 

70 

18-50 

10 

1-50 

Lucern 

73-50 

19 

4-50 

3 

86  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

Of  the  metliod  for  giving  this  winter  fodder 
to  the  flocks  little  need  be  said.  In  the  case  of 
hay  or  lucern,  the  simplest  plan  is  to  erect  a  double 
line  of  wire  netting,  about  two  feet  apart,  supported 
by  stakes  as  suggested  by  Mr.  Charles  Scott  in 
The  Practice  of  Sheep  Farming: — "The  sheep 
will  eat  the  hay  nicely  through  the  meshes  of  the 
wire,  which  also  prevents  the  hay  from  being 
trampled  on,  or  blown  away  by  the  wind."  But 
even  if  the  hay  be  thrown  upon  the  ground  it  is 
better  than  no  hay  at  all.  With  respect  to  pumpkins, 
beets,  turnips,  or  other  roots,  they  can  be  either 
placed  in  troughs  or  laid  upon  the  ground,  a  boy, 
armed  with  a  cutting  knife  in  the  shape  of  a  cattle 
brand,  with  deep-bladed  knives  in  the  shape  of  a 
cross  at  its  extremity,  can  cut  sufficient  fodder  for 
a  thousand  sheep  in  an  afternoon.  As  it  is  necessary 
to  practise  the  greatest  economy  in  order  that  the 
extra  feeding  of  sheep  in  winter  time  may  be  a 
practical  success,  the  most  primitive  methods  may 
be  employed.  Improvements  will  readily  suggest 
themselves ;  and  the  details  of  the  w^ork  will  be 
determined  by  individual  circumstances. 

Labour. — Labour  is  cheap  in  the  Argentine  Ee- 
public,  particularly  so  at  the  present  time,  when  the 
general  tightness  in  commerce  has  tended  to  reduce 
the  wasre  tariff.  Under  such  circumstances  it 
might  be  considered  that  the  country  is  a  poor  field 
for  the  immisrrant,  but  such  is  not  the  case.  Skilled 
labour  is  still  highly  paid,  and  living  is  very  inex- 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  87 

pensive.  Moreover,  in  a  country  as  yet  but  sparsely 
populated,  and  capable  of  very  much  more  develop- 
ment, there  occur  opportunities  for  advancement  not 
to  be  found  in  more  thickly-peopled  countries,  where 
competition  is  keen  and  there  are  more  applicants 
than  posts  to  be  filled.  The  working  immigrant  has, 
it  is  true,  to  content  himself  with  a  modest  wage 
upon  first  arriving,  but  if  he  be  diligent  and  apply 
himself  to  his  work,  his  merits  will  soon  find 
appreciation  on  the  part  of  his  emj^loyer.  Treating, 
as  this  work  does,  exclusively  of  sheep -farming, 
it  is  only  with  reference  to  this  industry  that  labour 
is  here  considered.  As  in  all  pastoral  countries,  the 
demand  for  hands  is  limited,  though  here  as  else- 
where trustworthy  and  intelligent  men  are  much 
sought  after  and  well  paid.  A  wider  field  for  the 
immigrant  lies  in  the  agricultural  districts,  and  there 
is  still  room  for  many  hundreds  of  thousands  in 
the  cornfields  of  Santa  Fe,  Entre  Rios,  Cordoba, 
etc. 

A  general  labourer  whose  duty  is  to  dig  ditches, 
work  in  the  wool -shed,  and  generally  assist  as  a 
foot-workman  at  the  head  station,  is  paid  from  £2  to 
£3  per  month.  In  addition  to  this  he  is  found  in 
both  house-room  and  board.  His  food  is  cooked 
for  him,  and  he  usually  gets  one  meal  at  mid -day, 
and  another  at  sun-down,  as  well  as  a  cup  of  tea,  cold 
meat,  or  something  similar  before  sun-up.  Some- 
times he  gets  bread  and  tea  rations  instead  of  being 
supplied  with  them  in  the  common  kitchen.     These 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDINX,  INDUSTRY 


consist  of  3  lbs.  of  "  camp  "  biscuit,  1  lb.  sugar,  and 
2J  oz.  of  tea,  or,  if  lie  prefers  it,  1  lb.  of  Paraguayan 
tea,  per  week. 

The  monthly  wage  of  a  shepherd  is  from  £2  :  10s. 
to  £4,  as  well  as  a  small  sum  of  money  for  each  lamb 
marked  and  tallied,  bringing  up  his  wage  to  perhaps 
16s.  more  per  month.  He  is  found  in  meat  and  rations, 
as  already  described  in  a  previous  part  of  this  chapter  ; 
and  as  his  expenses  are  small,  he  should  be  able  to 
economise,  and  lay  by  some  money  every  year.  And 
at  any  rate  he  is  provided  with  a  comfortable  home 
and  plenty  to  eat. 

A  popular  method  of  paying  the  shepherds  is  that 
of  the  profit-share  system,  and  there  is  much  to 
recommend  it,  particularly  in  those  far-distant  runs, 
where  the  employer  is  more  or  less  dependent  upon 
the  honesty  of  his  flock-tenders.  At  a  convenient 
period  of  the  year,  generally  about  March,  the  flock 
is  handed  over  to  the  shepherd,  counting  it  out ;  and 
that  count  constitutes  the  shepherd's  capital.  He 
receives  a  house  ^ith  kitchen,  and  enclosure  for 
garden  and  tree-planting,  a  yard  in  which  to  work 
the  flock,  a  well,  trough,  spade,  wheelbarrow,  and 
tubs  in  which  to  prepare  the  remedy  for  curing  the 
scab.  He  finds  his  own  horses,  and  is  generally 
limited  as  to  the  number  of  these  by  his  employer, 
who  probably  establishes  the  maximum  at  twelve 
horses  and  one  mare.  He  is  allowed  to  kill  out  of  his 
own  flock  to  provide  himself  and  his  family  with 
mutton ;    sometimes  he  is  provided  with  meat  from 


IX  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  89 

the  head  station,  in  which  case  he  pays  the  value  of 
this  meat,  which  is  generally  placed  at  a  low  rate. 
If  the  flock  be  one  of  average  size,  say  a  capital  of 
1200,  he  receives  it  on  a  fourth  share.  He  neither 
pays  for  any  part  of  this  flock,  nor  does  he  flnd  any 
capital  other  than  his  labour.  The  flock  of  1200  is 
therefore  entirely  the  property  of  the  employer. 
During  the  year  the  debits  corresponding  to  the 
shepherd  are  as  follows  : — 

One-fourth  of  all  curing  stuffs,  cost  of  dipping  for  scab,  and 
similar  offices  performed  for  his  flock. 

One-fourth  of  the  expenses  of  shearing,  and  all  other  lal)our 
connected  with  his  flock  which  has  entailed  the  employment  of 
other  hands  than  himself. 

He  is  credited  with  the  followino- : — 

One-fourth  of  the  value  of  all  skins  from  his  flock,  delivered 
by  him  to  the  head  station. 

One-fourth  of  the  value  of  any  tallow  removed  from  dead 
sheep,  and  delivered  by  him  to  the  head  station. 

One-fourth  of  the  value  of  all  the  avooI  got  from  his  flock, 
less  expenses  connected  M-ith  sale  of  same. 

One-fourth  of  the  value  of  all  sales  effected  from  the  flock, 
during  the  period  of  his  contract. 

One-fourth  of  all  increase  found  in  the  flock,  deducting  the 
original  capital  from  the  amount  counted  out  at  the  date  of  the 
expiry  of  his  contract. 

The  employer  reserves  to  himself  the  right  of 
determining  the  value  of  the  wool  and  sheepskins, 
according  to  the  condition  of  the  cleanliness,  etc.,  in 
which  the  produce  is  received.  It  is  not  customary 
to  pay  the  shepherd  one-fourth   of  the  actual  price 


90  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

obtained  for  sales  from  his  flock ;  for  lie  may  be 
tending  a  special  class  of  animal  which  obtains  a  very- 
high  price  in  the  market,  not  thanks  to  his  care,  but 
to  the  natural  valuable  qualities  of  the  breed.  It  is 
customary  in  such  cases  to  look  upon  all  sales  as 
increase,  and  pay  the  fourth  share  of  them  at  a  fixed 
rate,  say  from  5s.  to  6s.  per  head,  without  discrimina- 
ting, so  far  as  the  shepherd  is  concerned,  in  the  nature 
of  the  sale.  Thus  the  entries  in  the  stock  -  book 
would  be  as  follows  : — 

1891.  Dec.    8.  Sold  from  this  flock,  \cethers  .         .  160 

1892.  Jan.  17.  ,,  „  culled  ewes  .  130 
„  Feb.  16.  Removed  ,,  de-graded  stock  140 
„      Mar.  31.  Counted  flock  at  this  date,  being 

expiry  of  contract,  and  found      .        1290 

1720 

Less  capital  as  delivered  on  31st  March  1891      1200 


Increase  during  past  year      .      520 

And  the  shepherd  would  be  credited  in  his  ac- 
count with  the  fourth  part  of  520,  say  130  at  5s.  6d. 
each. 

The  shepherd,  when  on  a  profit-share,  is  expected 
to  look  after  his  flock  during  the  whole  year  without 
any  assistance  from  his  employer,  other  than  at  the 
times  of  shearing,  dipping  for  scab,  and  removal  of 
drafts  for  sale.  He  agrees  not  to  keep  more  than  one 
dog  ;  to  plant  ten  trees  every  year ;  not  to  sow 
vegetables  for  sale,  though  he  may  grow  as  many  as 
he  pleases  for  his  own  consumption ;  and  to  keep  the 
house,  enclosure,  and  yard  in  good  repair. 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  91 

On  the  other  hand  he  is  permitted  to  keep  a  pig 
or  two,  chickens,  turkeys,  and  other  domestic  fowls, 
and  his  wife  may  make  a  little  house-money  in  this 
way  so  long  as  the  charge  of  such  possessions  does 
not  interfere  with  the  shepherd's  attention  to  his 
duties.  He  is  also  sometimes  invited  to  assist  at 
other  work,  such  as  the  shearing  at  the  head  station,  the 
digging  of  w^ells,  construction  of  fences,  and  such  like  ; 
and  for  this  work  he  receives  extra  pay.  In  this 
manner  an  industrious  shepherd  may  expect  to  have, 
in  a  good  year,  £30  or  £40  over  and  above  his  annual 
expenses,  though  not  unfrequently  the  poor  fellow  has 
a  "  bad  year,"  and  the  return  of  his  share  of  the  flock 
is  barely  sufiicient  to  pay  for  the  necessaries  he  has 
had  to  buy  during  the  year.  Of  course,  in  the 
profit-share  system  the  shepherd  has  to  provide 
himself  with  everything,  except  mutton,  entirely  at 
his  own  cost. 

Many  consider  this  profit- share  system  as  too 
primitive,  too  patriarchal,  for  these  go-ahead  days ; 
but  it  is  open  to  cjuestion  if  the  additional  money 
paid  to  the  shepherd  does  not  bring  with  it  a  more 
than  proportionate  increase  for  the  employer's  pocket. 
Indeed,  the  writer  of  this  is  of  opinion  that  wherever 
it  is  possible  to  do  so,  the  labourer  should  be 
encouraged  by  receiving  some  small  profit  share. 
The  discreet  unmuzzlinsf  of  the  ox  brino-s  more  corn 
to  the  granary.  The  shepherd's  application  and 
interest  in  his  work  are  increased,  and  his  employer's 
afiiiirs  are  better  and  more  faithfully  cared  for  ;   and 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


it  gives  the  working  man  a  better  chance  of  improv- 
ing his  lot.  The  shepherd  who  knows  that  every 
growing  fleece  of  wool  contains  locks  which  shall  be 
his,  and  that  every  lamb  suckled  and  weaned  bears  a 
few  more  pence  for  his  store,  will  watch  and  tend  his 
charges  with  a  concern  scarcely  to  be  expected  of  him 
were  the  fleece  and  lambs  alike  the  sole  possessions 
of  his  master.  But  these  considerations  of  economical 
convenience,  alike  fruitful  to  master  and  man,  which 
lead  to  a  study  of  the  moral  unwritten  law  of  duty 
towards  our  neighbour  upon  one  common  ground, 
carry  us  far  beyond  the  limits  of  the  present 
subject. 

Share-holders. — In  cases  when  a  proprietor  of  a 
large  area  of  outside  land  finds  himself  short  of  funds 
sufficient  to  stock  the  whole  of  his  estate,  it  is  not 
unusual  to  admit  shepherds  who  bring  with  them  a 
number  of  sheep  of  their  own.  In  such  cases  the 
proprietor  puts  an  equal  quantity  of  sheep  against 
those  belonging  to  the  shepherd,  and  the  latter  tends 
the  flock  upon  a  half  share.  Or  the  owner  of  the 
land  finds  double  the  quantity  of  that  brought  by 
the  shepherd,  and  the  latter  receives  one-third  of  the 
profits.  When  the  shepherd  is  thus  actually  owner 
of  a  portion  of  the  flock,  he  has  more  say  in  the 
matter  of  the  sale  of  wool  and  other  produce,  though 
he  generally  leaves  the  disposal  of  the  fruits  to  his 
employer.  At  the  end  of  his  contract  he  can  also 
remove  his  share  of  the  flock  and  of  the  increase,  and 
is  not  obliged  to  sell  to  the  estanciero  or  landowner. 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  93 

This  system  of  co-partnery  is  useful  to  the  landowner 
Avhose  capital  is  too  limited  to  stock  up  the  land 
entirely  at  his  own  expense,  and  he  frequently  ends 
in  buying  the  shepherd's  share  from  him.  The  owner 
finds  the  laud  and  a  portion  of  the  flock ;  the 
shepherd  the  remainder  and  the  labour.  Each  pays 
his  proportionate  share  of  the  expenses,  and  receives 
his  corresponding  share  of  the  profits. 

Day  Labour.  —  In  special  seasons,  such  as 
shearing,  dipping  for  scab,  etc.,  the  day  labourer  is 
paid  from  3s.  to  4s.  per  diem,  including  the  mid- 
day meal,  and  sometimes  both  mid-day  and  evening 
meal  and  lodging.  Specially  hard  work,  such  as 
the  digging  of  wells,  is  paid  at  a  higher  rate,  say 
from  5s.  to  6s.  per  diem.  When  such  work  can 
be  paid  for  by  the  piece,  it  is  generally  preferable  to 
do  so. 

Steading. — The  head  station  of  a  sheep  farm,  to 
be  complete,  should  have  at  least  the  following 
buildings,  plant,  and  enclosures  : — 

1.  A  dwelling-house  for  the  owner  or  manager. 

2.  A  dwelling-house  Avith  kitchen  and  accommodation  for  the 
regular  steading  hands. 

3.  A  big  shed  wherein  to  store  wool  and  other  produce, 
agricultural  machinery,  timber,  and  general  stuff. 

4.  A  shearing-shed,  which  can  be  used  at  other  times  for 
housing  fine  stock,  storing  implements,  hay,  etc. 

5.  A  building  Avith  storeroom,  butcher's  shop  or  meat  house, 
tallow  room  and  carpenter's  shop.  These  can  be  built  separately, 
but  are  best  united  in  one  edifice. 

6.  A  complete  dipping  plant  for  the  cure  of  scab,  with  yards 
sufficient  to  work  at  least  one  entire  flock  at  a  time. 


94  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

7.  Wells  and  efficient  water  supply. 

8.  A  large  garden,  sufficient  to  keep  the  steading  in  vege- 
tables throughout  the  year. 

9.  An  enclosure  for  tree  planting  in  order  to  provide  the 
steading  %vith  firewood.  Tree  planting  should  be  carried  on 
wherever  it  is  practical,  and  no  branch  of  farming  is  so  satis- 
factory and  remunerative. 

10.  At  least  ten  acres  of  lucern,  to  keep  the  steading  supplied 
with  hay  during  the  Avinter. 

11.  A  yard  or  "corral"  for  catching  horses,  and  a  larger  one 
for  working  cattle. 

Fairs. — In  addition  to  the  other  means  the  breeder 
has  for  purchasing  tups  and  other  stock,  or  for  selhng 
them,  there  exist  in  the  Province  of  Buenos  Aires 
bi-annual  fairs  to  which  all  the  best  breeders  send 
animals.  Ten  years  ago  such  fairs  were  unknown  in 
most  districts,  and  the  two  or  three  held  were  but 
poorly  attended.  To-day,  at  many  towns,  such  as 
Mercedes,  San  Nicolas,  Bragado,  Chascomus,  Salado, 
Azul,  Olavarria,  Tandil,  Balcarce,  Ayacucho,  Dolores, 
Las  Flores,  and  Bahia  Blanca,  these  spring  and 
autumn  meetings  have  become  the  most  important 
events  of  the  year ;  and  their  institution  is  of  un- 
deniable benefit.  The  seller  finds  a  market  for  his 
stock,  and  if  not  successful  he  can  at  any  rate  satisfy 
himself  of  the  defects  in  his  breed,  or  cause  of  their 
hanging  on  his  hands.  The  buyer  will  here  see  the 
produce  of  all  the  principal  breeders,  and  be  able  to 
compare  one  class  with  another,  and  not  only  acquire 
much  information  but  also  obtain  what  he  wants 
at  the  proj^er  market  price.  The  railway  companies 
charge  reduced  rates  for  stock  going  to  and  coming 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  95 

from  these  fairs.  Here  too  the  breeders  can  meet 
and  discuss  the  pastoral  questions  of  the  day  to  their 
mutual  benefit.  Great  credit  is  due  to  the  in- 
defatigable labours  of  the  first  promoters  of  these 
local  rural  societies  and  fairs,  and  there  is  no  question 
that  they  have  supplied  a  need  long  felt  by  breeders 
in  the  Argentine. 

Little  more  need  be  added  to  this  chapter  upon 
the  general  administration  of  a  sheep  farm.  The 
whole  secret  of  success  lies  in  the  practice  of  economy 
and  the  daily  attention  to  the  stock.  A  great  exercise 
of  intelligence  or  science  is  not  required,  but  a  con- 
stant watchfulness  is  the  best  guarantee  of  favourable 
results.  Each  district  has  its  own  specialities  and 
particular  conditions  ;  it  is  impossible  to  detail  all  of 
them.  The  studious  breeder  will  soon  assimilate  all 
that  is  needful,  and  learn  to  adapt  himself  to  his 
circumstances. 


CHAPTER   IV 

PRICES,    VALUES,    TAXATION,    AND    RURAL    LAWS 

The  market  value  of  land  in  the  Aro-entine  has  orone 
through  so  many  fluctuations,  that  quotations  of  to- 
day's value  will  not  remain  reliable  for  long.  Land 
of  a  good  class,  situated  in  the  Province  of  Buenos 
Aires  and  conveniently  near  a  railway,  changed  hands 
at  about  12s.  an  acre  in  1882,  30s.  in  1886,  45s.  in 
1889,  and  by  the  end  of  1891  could  not  find  buyers 
at  15s.  an  acre.  An  element  of  speculation  during 
the  years  1888-1890  had  upset  the  base  upon  which 
land  sales  should  be  conducted,  viz.  that  of  the  pro- 
ductive capacity  of  the  estate ;  exaggerated  sums  were 
paid  with  the  proposition  of  reselling  the  property  at 
a  still  more  inflated  figure.  Sheep  farms  exchanged 
hands  at  a  price  which,  given  the  conditions  of  the 
land  and  the  existing  state  of  the  pastoral  industry, 
represented  working  them  at  a  dead  loss.  Even  prac- 
tical breeders,  who  knew  to  a  nicety  the  carrying 
capacity  of  their  run,  and  what  revenue  the  stock 
could  brins:  them  in,  allowed  themselves  to  be  carried 
away  with  the  stream  of  enthusiasm,  and  imagined 
themselves  to  be  possessed  of  veritable  El  Dorados. 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  97 

This  period  of  speculation  has  been  followed  by  one 
of  crisis,  and  land  had  fallen  far  below  its  proper 
value  by  the  end  of  1891.  No  fall  in  the  value  of 
produce,  or  diminution  of  its  quantity,  or  discovery 
that  the  pastoral  properties  of  the  land  had  been  over- 
rated, occasioned  this  depreciation.  Panic  had  taken 
hold  of  all ;  and  if  many  perceived  the  profit  to  be 
gained  by  buying  in  at  bottom  prices,  they  had  neither 
capital  nor  credit  wherewith  to  effect  the  purchase. 
Land  may  be  expected  to  slowly  rise  again  in  value  ; 
but  it  must  do  so  by  reason  of  the  introduction  of 
capital,  improvement  in  stock,  elaboration  of  the 
breeding  system,  drainage,  and  similar  outlay.  With 
these  will  come  an  increased  revenue  to  justify  a 
higher  valuation  of  property.  The  writer  has  thought 
it  advisable  to  make  these  prefatory  remarks  in  this 
chapter  on  prices,  to  guard  the  reader  from  presuming 
that  the  figures  hereafter  mentioned  are  likely  to 
remain  unaltered  for  many  years. 

Price  of  Land. — Mr.  Mulhall,  in  his  chapter  on 
Lands  in  the  Handbook  of  the  Rive7^  Plate,  gives 
some  figures  and  remarks  which  I  take  the  liberty  of 
quoting  here. 

"Most  of  the  lands  within  100  miles  of  the  city 
of  Buenos  Aires  (besides  large  areas  in  Santa  Fe  and 
Entre  Rios)  are  now  given  up  to  tillage,  in  small 
farms,  which  greatly  enhance  their  value.  The  fol- 
lowing scale  shows  the  value  approximately  with 
reference  to  distance  : — 


98 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


Miles  from  Buenos  Aires. 

Value  $  gold  per 
sq.  league.-^ 

Shillings 
per  acre. 

Under  100 

100  to  200 

200  „  400 

Over  400 

160,000 

100,000 

30,000 

15,000 

100 
60 
20 
10 

In  a  previous  part  of  the  same  chapter  it  is  said 
that — "The  official  statement  for  1886  (to  which  is 
appended  a  scale  of  present  values)  shows  as  follows  : 


$  gold. 

Ordinary  price  (in  1892) 
per  sq.  league. 

Buenos  Aires 
Santa  Fe     , 
Entre  Rios . 
Cordoba 

351,000,000 

44,500,000 
90,200,000 
45,200,000 

$30,000  to  $60,000 
20,000  „     40,000 
20,000   „      40,000. 
5,000  „      10,000 

These  tables  are  at  considerable  variance,  and  the 
valuations  in  the  first  one  are,  in  the  author's  opinion, 
overestimated.  Taking  the  Province  of  Buenos  Aires, 
and  basing  our  calculations  upon  the  approximate 
area  of  each  of  the  four  classifications  in  the  first  table, 
and  the  value  per  acre  therein  stated,  we  have  the 
following  table : — 


1  Tables  of -weights,  measurements,  etc.,  will  be  found  at  the  end  of  this 
chapter. 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


99 


Miles  from 
Buenos  Aires. 

Area  ia 
sq.  miles. 

Mr.  Mulhall's  valuation. 

Amounts. 

Acre.             Sq.  mile. 

Under  100 

100  to  200 

200  ,,   400 

Over  400 

Province  of 
Buenos  Aires 

16,000 

38,000 

60,000 

6,000 

£5       =   £3200 
3       =       1920 
1       =         640 
h      =         320 

£51,200,000 
72,960,000 

38,400,000  : 

1,920,000 

120,000 

£164,480,000 

This  gives  us  the  valuation  of  the  total  area  of  the 
Province  of  Buenos  Aires  equal  to  $822,000,000,  as 
compared  to  the  1886  official  statement  in  the  second 
table,  which  places  it  at  $351,000,000.  It  also  makes 
the  average  square  league  in  the  Province  of  Buenos 
Aires  worth  over  $70,000,  as  compared  to  an  average 
$45,000  as  stated  in  the  second  table.  But,  if  we 
follow  the  course  of  the  200  mile  radius  and  that 
of  the  400  mile  radius  through  other  Provinces, 
we  find  still  further  I'eason  to  hold  Mr.  Mulhall's 
acre  valuation  an  extreme  one.  The  400  mile  line 
runs  through  the  town  of  General  Acha,  capital 
of  the  National  Territory  of  the  Central  Pampa, 
a,nd  encloses  land  which  is  being  sold  to-day  at  any- 
thing from  2s.  6d.  to  5s.  an  acre.  It  touches  the 
Province  of  San  Luis,  and  encloses  nearly  three- 
quarters  of  the  Province  of  Cordoba  within  the  20s. 
per  acre  valuation.  In  Santa  Fe  it  ascends  north  of 
the  29th  parallel  of  latitude,  thereby  fictitiously  en- 
hancing the  already  exaggerated  value  of  the  northern 
.Santa  Fe  lands.     Finally,  it  encloses  within  its  pale 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


nearly  one-half  of  the  Province  of  Corrientes.  Ac- 
cepting Mr.  Mulhall's  acre  valuation  of  land  within 
the  three  radii  he  establishes  as  standards,  we  have 
the  Province  of  Entre  Pios,  of  which  3500  square 
miles  are  under  100  miles  from  the  city  of  Buenos 
Aires,  14,500  square  miles  from  100  to  200  miles  from 
that  city,  and  14,500  scjuare  miles  from  200  to  400 
miles,  valued  at  a  total  of  £47,848,000,  or  say 
$239,240,000  gold,  a  sum  more  than  three  times  as 
much  as  the  official  valuation  for  1891,  which  is  stated 
in  the  HaiidbooJc  to  be  $70,000,000.  Finally,  taking 
all  the  Provinces  included  in  the  first  three  acre  valu- 
ations, we  arrive  at  an  appreciation  of  the  value  of 
Argentine  lands  sufficient  to  entitle  us  to  consider  the 
Argentine  foreign  debt  a  matter  of  small  moment. 
The  following  is  the  table,  based  upon  Mr.  Mulhall's 
acre  valuation  : — 


Miles  from 
Buenos  Aires. 


Under  100 
100  to  200 

5) 

200  to  400 


Province. 


Entre  Rios 
Santa  Fe  .  . 
Entre  Rios 
Panipa  Central 
San  Luis  . 
Cordoba  . 
Santa  Fe  . 
Corrientes 
Entre  Rios     . 


Province  of  Buenos  Aires 


Area  in 
sq.  miles. 


Mr.  Mulhall's 
valuation. 


Acre.     Sq.  mile. 


3,500 
5,400 
14,500 
23,000 
2,500 
48,100 
35,000 
14,000 
14,500 


lfi0,500 
120,000 


280,500 


£5 
3 


:£3200 
:        1920 

=       640 


sq.  miles  at 


Amounts. 


£11,200,000 

10,368,000 

27,840,000 

14,720,000 

1,600,000 

30,784,000 

22,400,000 

8,960,000 

9,280,000 


£137,152,000 
164,480,000 


£301,632,000 


IX  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


This  total  area,  which  excludes  nearly  a  million 
square  miles  of  Argentine  territory  in  which  may 
be  mentioned  the  vine  lands  of  Mendoza  and  the 
susfar  lands  of  Tucuman,  is  thus  valued  at  nearlv  two 
and  a  half  times  the  official  valuation  of  Are^entine 
land,  which  is  stated  in  1892  to  be  646,000,000 
dollars. 

It  would  be  an  ungenerous  misinterpretation  of 
Mr.  Mulhall's  acre  valuation  to  signalise  lands  here 
and  there  and  show  how  far  their  actual  value  falls 
short  of  that  attributable  to  them  if  their  relative 
distance  from  the  city  of  Buenos  Aires  established 
their  price.  But  I  have  thought  it  necessary  to 
treat  the  valuations  contained  in  the  Handbook  of 
the  River  Plate  in  some  detail,  both  because  that 
work  is  one  whose  general  excellence  entitles  it  to 
be  frequently  consulted  by  those  interested  in  the 
Argentine,  and  also  to  justify  the  bases  of  valuation 
of  land  which  I  myself  establish  in  the  subsequent 
pages. 

Speaking  exclusively  of  lands  adapted  for  pastoral 
purposes,  and  dealing  vdth.  them  at  their  purchasing 
cost  of  to-day,  the  following  may  be  accepted  as 
reliable  : — 

1.  Land  of  first-class  quality,  capable  of  carrying 
the  equivalent^  of  2^  sheep  to  the  acre,  situated  in 


^  lu  order  to  establish  the  carrying  or  grazing  capacity  of  land,  the  author 
has  reduced  every  class  of  live  stock  to  the  standard  of  sheep,  and  in  the 
following  proportions  : — One  cow  is  calculated  equal  to  five  sheep,  and  one 
horse  equal  to  seven  sheep.  The  number  per  acre  is  supposed  to  be  the 
mean  between  the  winter  count  of  stock  before  lambing,  calving,  and  foaling, 
and  the  summer  count  before  the  increase  has  been  removed  from  the  land. 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


the  Province  of  Buenos  Aires  not  more  than  200 
miles  from  the  capitcal,  with  existing  plant  in- 
cluding a  good  steading  and  wire  fences.  An  area 
not  less  than  3000  acres.  Market  value,  from  30 
fo  50  shillings  iJer  acre. 

2.  Land  of  second-class  quality,  capable  of 
carrying  the  equivalent  of  1|-  to  2  sheep  to  the 
acre,  situated  in  the  Provinces  of  Buenos  Aires, 
Santa  Fe,  and  Entre  Rios,  within  convenient  dis- 
tance of  railway  communication,  and  with  plant 
including  a  good  steading,  wire  fences,  etc.  An 
area  not  less  than  6000  acres.  Market  value,  from 
20  to  35  shillings  2^<^i'  acre. 

3.  Land  of  third-class  quality,  capable  of  carry- 
ing the  equivalent  of  1  to  1^  sheep  to  the  acre, 
situated  in  the  Provinces  of  Buenos  Aires,  Santa 
Fe,  and  Entre  Rios,  within  a  fair  distance  of  railway 
communication  and  possessing  a  steading  and  pro- 
bably some  paddocks,  or  a  ring  fence.  An  area  not 
less  than  6000  acres.  Market  value,  from  12  ^o  25 
shillings  per  acre. 

4.  Land  in  the  Provinces  of  Buenos  Aires,  Santa 
Fe,  Entre  Rios,  and  Cordoba,  at  a  fair  distance  from 
railway    communication,    capable    of    carrying    the 

It  is  of  course  understood  that  no  land  can  be  entirely  stocked  with  sheep 
■without  also  carrying  some  cattle  and  horses.  The  farther  outside  the  buyer 
goes,  the  more  cattle  land  he  will  find,  though  after  some  years  of  stocking 
this  land  it  becomes  excellent  sheep  country.  But  in  order  to  judge  all 
lands  by  one  common  standard,  that  of  sheep  has  been  adopted  everywhere 
in  this  book.  Thus,  say  an  estate  of  10,000  acres  carries  the  following 
stock  :— 10,000  sheep,  1700  cattle,  and  200  horses.  Estimating  1  cow  =  5 
sheep,  and  1  horse  =  7  sheep,  the  estate  may  be  said  to  carry  the  equivalent 
of  19,900  sheep,  or  say  2  sheep  to  the  acre. 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


equivalent  of  1  sheep  to  the  acre,  with  good  soil 
capable  of  improvement  and  the  introduction  of 
better  herbage,  a  steading  and  possibly  some 
fencing  and  other  plant.  An  area  not  less  than 
6000  acres.  Market  value,  from  10  to  15  shillings 
per  acre. 

5.  Land  in  the  Provinces  of  Santa  Fe,  Entre 
Kios,  Cordoba,  Pampa  Central,  etc.,  at  some  distance 
(50  to  150  miles)  from  a  railway  station,  capable 
of  carrying  the  equivalent  of  J  to  1  sheep  per  acre, 
with  the  prospect  of  a  vast  improvement  in  the 
herbage,  possibly  with  a  steading,  but  not  much 
plant  to  be  expected.  An  area  not  less  than  12,000 
acres.  Market  value,  from  4  ^o  8  shillings  ^^er 
acre. 

6.  Outside  lands  in  the  far  south  and  west,  in 
the  Provinces  of  Rio  Negro,  Neuqudn,  Santa  Cruz, 
National  Territories,  etc. ;  at  present  very  little 
stocked.  Areas  not  less  than  30,000  acres.  Market 
value,  from  1  to  ^  shillings  per  acre. 

Title-Deeds. — Title-deeds  for  land  purchased  of  a 
previous  owner  are  good  for  all  time,  and  secure  the 
land  in  freehold  to  the  buyer  without  gravamen 
of  any  description,  unless  the  previous  holder  has 
mortgaged  or  otherwise  encumbered  his  estate. 
The  buyer  should  submit  the  title-deeds  to  some 
lawyer  of  position,  who  will  revise  the  documents 
and  inform  the  intending  purchaser  if  they  are  in 
order  and  free  of  flaws.  Being  satisfied  upon  this 
point,  the  deed  of  sale  can  be  drawn  up  by  a  notary 


I04  THE  SHEEP-BREEDIXG  INDUSTRY 

public  and  signed  by  both  parties.  All  expenses 
connected  with  this  documentary  transaction  are 
payable  by  the  buyer.  After  purchase  the  buyer 
can  have  the  land  remeasured  for  his  own  satisfaction 
l)y  a  duly  sworn  land-measurer,  who  conducts  the 
formal  appeal  for  permission,  invitation  to  the  neigh- 
bours to  attend  the  measurement,  and  other  official 
matters.  If  the  area  of  land  be  found  to  exceed  that 
bought  by  the  purchaser,  the  excess  may  be  bought 
from  the  Provincial  Grovernment  at  two-thirds  of  the 
price  of  the  general  valuation  set  upon  the  estate  for 
taxation  purposes.  Care  should  l^e  taken  to  denunciar, 
that  is  to  declare  to  the  Land  Office  the  existence  of 
such  an  excess,  and  solicit  first  right  to  purchase  the 
same.  After  a  sale  of  land  has  been  effected,  the 
Land  Department  must  be  duly  notified  for  the  regis- 
tration of  the  property.  This,  and  all  other  matters 
relating  to  the  formalities  necessary  to  such  a 
transaction,  are  attended  to  by  the  lawyer  employed 
to  conduct  the  business.  It  is  only  needful  to  add, 
with  reference  to  this  subject,  that  the  sale  or 
purchase  of  land  is  not  a  troublesome  negotiation 
provided  the  buyer  employs  an  agent  of  respect- 
able position.  The  fees  he  pays  are  modest  ones, 
and  if  placed  in  the  hands  of  a  competent  legal 
adviser  there  is  little  dano;er  of  makinor  an  invalid 
purchase. 

Rented. — Land  is  frequently  obtained  in  rental 
for  a  period  of  three  years  and  upwards.  This  form 
of  stock-breeding  does  not  particularly  commend  itself 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  105 

to  the  immigrating  colonist,  who  may  find  himself 
at  the  expiry  of  the  lease  overburdened  with  stock 
and  without  prospect  of  a  renewal.  It  is  more  a 
business  for  capable  breeders  who  see  an  opportunity 
for  finding  land  for  their  increase,  at  a  time  when 
prices  make  it  inconvenient  to  sell  off  the  surplus 
stock.  It  is  also  much  practised  by  small  stock- 
breeders, the  owners  of  say  a  flock  of  sheep  which 
they  have  acquired  through  working  as  shepherds  on 
a  profit-share  system,  or  gathered  together  during 
several  years  of  economy.  These  people  rent  a  run 
sufficient  for  say  1200  to  1500  sheep,  the  area  of  such 
a  run  being  from  600  to  900  acres.  The  rental  they 
pay  varies  from  Is.  6d.  to  2s.  6d.  per  acre,  and  by 
dint  of  careful  economy  they  frequently  make  a  hand- 
some profit  out  of  their  flock.  The  general  price  of 
rent  may  be  taken  at  from  6  to  8  per  cent  upon  the 
stated  value  of  the  land. 

Tlie  Purchase  of  Sheep. — In  a  previous  chapter 
the  various  classes  of  sheep  have  been  discussed.  It 
rests  for  the  breeder  who  is  about  to  stock-up  his 
land  to  determine  what  class  of  sheep  is  best  adapted 
to  the  climate,  position,  and  pastures  of  his  land. 
Having  satisfied  himself  upon  this  point,  he  can 
then  proceed  to  buy  sheep  for  his  run.  The  most 
favourable  season  for  effecting  a  purchase  is  from 
November  until  February,  for  the  following  reasons : — 

1.  The  shearing,  which  takes  place  in  October 
and  November,  is  now  concluded,  and  the  seller  is 
desirous  to  dispose  of  his  surplus  stock  as  soon  as 


io6  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

possible,  and  will  sell  at  lowest  prices  to  ensure  an 
early  removal. 

2.  The  stock  is  in  its  most  healthy  condition, 
having  been  relieved  of  the  heavy  fleece,  and  enjoying 
the  most  seasonable  period  of  the  year. 

3.  The  roads  are  in  their  best  state  for  the  drivinof 
of  the  sheej). 

4.  The  ewes  are  not  yet  in  lamb,  the  lambing 
season  being  due  at  earliest,  and  in  the  case  of 
merinos  only,  at  the  end  of  March.  The  previous 
season's  lambs  are  now  weaned  and  can  travel. 

5.  The  stock  will  arrive  at  its  new  home  durinor 
the  best  time  of  the  year,  and  so  get  accustomed 
to  the  run  before  the  autumn  sets  in  and  lambino- 
commences. 

6.  This  season  is  the  one  best  suited  for  ors^anisa- 
tion,  oettino'  the  curinsj  of  the  scab  well  in  hand, 
arrano-ing;  the  flocks,  and  so  on. 

The  intending  purchaser  should  now  inform  him- 
self, in  every  way  within  his  power,  of  stock  for  sale. 
He  will  o-et  this  information  through  stock-ao^ents 
and  brokers,  newspapers,  and  many  other  sources. 
He  can  travel  from  place  to  place  inspecting  the 
sheep,  getting  quotations  of  prices,  until  he  has 
satisfied  himself  and  found  somethins;  convenient  to 
his  pocket  and  his  run.  And  he  should  always  have 
in  mind  that  stock  brouo-ht  from  good  land  to  inferior 
land  must  suffer  and  deteriorate.  That  the  reverse 
will  happen  when  the  sheep  are  taken  from  bad  land 
to  good.     He  should  study  the  nature   of  the  land 


IX  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


upon  Avhich  the  stock  for  sale  is  grazed,  and  compare 
it  with  his  own. 

Prices  vary  a  good  deal  according  to  the  demand 
for  stock.  At  the  present  time  merino  sheep  are 
at  a  discount,  and  oood  animals  of  that  breed  can 
be  obtained  at  from  4s.  to  8s.  per  head,  "by  the 
cut."  This  expression,  which  embodies  the  usual 
form  of  sale  in  the  Argentine,  deserves  an  explana- 
tion. A  flock  of  sheep  of  ordinary  class  may  be  said 
to  be  composed  of  the  following  ages  and  sexes  : — 

52  per  cent  :  breeding  ewes,  20  months  old  and  upwards  to  5  years. 
30        „         :  8  months  ohi  lambs,  mixed  sexes. 
14        „         :  wethers  of  20  months  and  i;pwards. 
8        ,,         :  aged  ewes  and  crocks. 

The  owner,  having  agreed  to  sell  a  portion  of 
such  a  flock,  causes  the  whole  number  to  be  rounded 
up  in  the  yard  and  kept  moving  for  some  time  in 
order  to  mix  all  sorts  and  conditions  as  much  as 
possible.  The  purchaser,  followed  by  his  men,  then 
cuts  ofi"  ca  portion  of  the  flock,  calculating  with  the 
assistance  of  the  seller  the  approximate  number  ;  and 
drives  them  into  another  yard.  Hence  the  exact 
number  to  be  bought  is  counted  out.  This  method 
of  sale  is  now  conducted  upon  more  punctilious  lines, 
but  the  expression  "  by  the  cut "  is  derived  from  it, 
and  is  used  to  denote  a  number  of  stock  of  diff'erent 
ages  and  sexes. 

Inferior  merino  sheep  are  to  be  bought  at  lower 
prices  than  these  quoted  ;  indeed,  if  the  buyer  chooses 


io8  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

to  take  very  inferior  stock,  he  can  buy  at  Is.  6d.  per 
head.  But  I  need  hardly  say  that  no  economy  can 
be  falser  than  that  of  buying  inferior  animals  because 
their  price  is  low.  Quality  should  always  be  more 
regarded  than  quantity.  The  inferior  animal  con- 
sumes the  same  amount  of  fodder,  and  requires  the 
same  amount  of  attention,  as  the  better-bred  beast. 

Long-wool  crosses  are  to  be  had  at  from  6s. 
up  to  12s.  per  head,  "by  the  cut."  Ordinary 
good  stock,  for  growing  cross  wool  and  breeding 
saleable  wethers,  is  to  be  had  at  the  lower  price 
quoted. 

The  seller  generally  allows  to  the  buyer  the  right 
of  discarding  the  lame  and  sickly  animals ;  or  he 
allows  a  percentage  of  5  per  cent  for  that  purpose. 

The  stock  is  delivered  by  the  seller  to  the  buyer 
on  the  former's  run,  and  at  the  gate  of  the  sheep- 
yard.  All  risks,  expenses,  and  losses  on  the  road  to 
the  buyer's  property  correspond  to  the  purchaser. 

As  the  buyer  will  probably  wish  to  infuse  new 
blood  into  the  stock  he  has  purchased,  it  behoves  him 
to  buy  rams  for  the  flocks  he  has  acquired.  The  pro- 
portion of  rams  to  sheep  "  by  the  cut,"  should  be  1  to 
60 ;  though  many  put  only  1  to  80,  or  1  to  100. 
Nevertheless  the  breeder  will  not  lose  by  buying  a 
sufficient  cpiantity  of  rams.  These  he  can  acquire  by 
visiting  the  breeding  farms  in  his  vicinity,  and  making 
his  selection ;  or  by  attending  the  district  fairs, — 
held  twice  a  year, — where  he  will  frequently  find  good 
animals  for  sale  at  low  prices.     Generally  speaking, 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  109 

a  first-class  Rambouillet  tup  can  be  obtained  at  from 
£2  :  10s.  up  to  £5,  and  a  first-class  Lincoln  at  from 
£3  :  10s.  up  to  £7. 

If  the  breeder  determines  to  produce  tups  for  his 
own  flocks,  he  may  select  a  small  number  of  sheep  of 
the  best  type  from  the  general  stock  he  has  bought. 
For  these  he  will  require  a  special  tup  or  two  ;  these 
he  can  obtain  at  about  £10  each,  treating  of  Lincolns, 
and  at  from  £10  up  to  £30,  treating  of  Rambouillets 
or  Negrettis. 

He  may  also  buy  a  special  lot  of  ewes  to  form  a 
stud,  though  he  will  find  considerable  difliculty  in 
persuading  any  breeder  to  part  with  his  best  stock. 
For  these  he  will  have  to  pay  a  fancy  price,  which  is 
quite  impossible  to  reduce  to  a  general  table  of  prices. 
Indeed  I  can  scarcely  recommend  any  beginner  to 
establish  a  stud  by  this  means.  It  is  better  to  do  so 
by  carefully  selecting  a  few  of  the  best  ewes  from  the 
large  number  of  general  animals  he  possesses,  and 
exercising  the  greatest  care  in  the  selection  of  tups. 

The  Sale  of  Sheej). — Duly  established,  with  his  run 
stocked  up  and  in  working  order,  the  sheep-breeder 
may  now  reasonably  exj)ect  to  have  a  certain  number 
of  animals  for  sale  at  the  end  of  the  year. 

The  most  simple  way  of  disposing  of  these  would 
be  to  sell  them  as  he  bought  them,  "  by  the  cut "  ;  and, 
if  he  has  not  allowed  the  breed  to  deteriorate  he  may 
expect  the  price  he  obtains  to  be  equal  to  that  he  paid. 

But  this  is  not  a  progressive  method  of  disposing 
of  the  increase,  for  it  leaves  the  stock  each  year  un- 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


improved  in  class,  and  gives  no  room,  to  better  its 
wool  and  mutton-producing  conditions.  The  breeder 
should  rather  look  to  selling  off  that  portion  of  his 
stock  least  profitable  to  him,  and  so  raise  the  standard 
and  value  of  what  he  retains. 

In  the  first  place  he  must  inevitably  have  a  certain 
number  of  wethers  to  dispose  of.  These  he  can  best 
sell  to  the  mutton  freezer,  either  in  a  wholesale  manner 
by  inviting  one  of  the  freezing-house's  buyers  to  come 
and  inspect,  and  make  an  offer  ;  or  by  remitting  them 
in  small  quantities  to  the  sale  yards  near  Buenos 
Aires,  and  there  disposing  of  them  ;  or  by  contracting 
with  a  freezino^-house  to  send  them  in  small  consim- 
ments  and  receiving  payment  at  so  much  per  pound 
of  dead  mutton.  When  practicable  this  latter  form 
of  sale  is  the  most  convenient.  The  breeder  can  also 
sell  for  live  exportation,  or  himself  export  them  for 
sale  in  Europe,  All  these  methods  are  employed,  and 
the  prices  depend  upon  the  condition  of  the  wethers, 
their  breed  and  size  of  carcase,  and  the  special  in- 
telliofence  of  the  breeder  in  making;  his  selection  for 
the  market.  The  following  prices  give  the  value  of 
wethers  at  the  present  time  : — 

Merino  wethers  giving,  witliout  head  and  trotters,  a  dead 

weight  of  55  lbs.  and  upwards  .  10s. 

Do.  do.  do.  from  45  to  55  lbs.  .  6s.  6d.  to  9s. 

Do.  do.  do.  less  than  45  lbs,       .  5s.  to  6s.  6d. 

Longwool  do.  do.  from  55  to  70  lbs.   .  10s,  to  14s, 

Do,  do,  do,  above  70  lbs.  .         .10s, 

Do,  do,  do.  from  45  to  55  lbs.  .  7s,  to  9s. 

Do.  do,  do,  less  than  45  lbs,       .  5s,  to  6s, 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


The  above  prices  include  the  skin,  which  is  bought 
in  with  the  carcase.  As  much  as  20s,  has  been  paid 
for  wethers  for  live  exportation,  but  the  demand  for 
these  is  as  limited  as  the  production,  and  the  trade  is 
one  not  sufficiently  developed  or  assured  to  deserve 
notice  as  a  reliable  market  for  stock.  On  the  other 
hand,  not  only  does  the  freezing  industry  grow  apace, 
as  shall  be  seen  in  another  part  of  this  book,  but  there 
now  exist  establishments  for  the  elaboration  of  the 
mutton  of  underweighted  and  inferior  carcases. 

The  satisfactory  disposal  of  the  wethers  still  leaves 
us,  however,  with  a  large  proportion  of  increase  to  sell. 
The  next  step  of  the  breeder  should  be  to  revise  his 
.stock,  and  cull  the  aged  and  inferior  ewes,  wMe  they 
are  still  in  fair  flesh,  and  sell  them  to  the  butcher. 
This  matter  has  been  treated  in  the  previous  chapter, 
and  as  here  I  am  only  dealing  with  prices,  I  w^ill  quote 
5s.  to  9s.  as  the  price  for  these  culls,  according  to 
their  condition  of  fatness. 

But  the  breeder  must  not  treat  his  flocks  with  two 
heavy  a  hand  in  the  drafting  of  these  inferior  ew^es,  or 
the  next  year's  increase  will  suffer  for  it.  So,  after  he 
has  sold  a  number  of  the  aged  ewes  and  crocks,  he 
may  still  find  it  necessary  to  further  reduce  his  stock. 
Here  again  he  should  avoid  selling  "  by  the  cut,"  and 
thereby  letting  the  good  go  with  the  bad  at  an  all- 
round  price.  He  should  rather  select  a  mixed  lot  of 
his  most  inferior  animals,  up  to  the  total  number  he 
desires  to  dispose  of  in  order  to  reduce  the  stock  on 
his  run  to  a  convenient  number.     This  mixed  lot  he 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


cau  offer  in  sale  to  some  other  sheep-breeder.  Given 
the  purchase  prices  already  quoted,  he  may  expect  to 
get  from  4s.  to  6s.  for  this  inferior  "  cut."  But,  though 
the  average  price  obtained  for  his  sale  of  surplus 
stock  be,  if  anything,  less  than  the  general  price  he 
paid  for  the  sheep  when  he  purchased  them,  he  is 
raising  the  value  of  his  capital, — which  is  the  correct, 
indeed  the  only  system  the  sheep-breeder  should 
observe. 

Value  of  Produce. — The  produce  derived  from  a 
sheep-farm  is  three-fold :  wool,  skins,  and  tallow. 
Of  these  the  most  important,  indeed  that  which 
represents  fully  60  per  cent  of  the  gross  annual  over- 
turn of  the  year,  is  the  wool-clip ;  and  the  success  of 
the  breeder  is  almost  entirely  dependent  upon  the 
quality  of  the  fleece  and  the  state  of  the  market. 
The  special  conditions  of  this,  and  the  means  in  the 
hands  of  every  breeder  to  improve  his  annual  wool 
return,  have  been  treated  to  some  extent  in  a  previous 
chapter.  At  present  I  have  only  to  deal  with  the 
value  of  the  article. 

For  some  years  past  there  has  been  a  healthy  de- 
mand for  cross  wools,  viz.,  those  which  in  a  great  degree 
combine  the  fineness  of  the  merino  with  the  length 
of  staple  of  the  long  wool.  Such  wools  wash  out  from 
45  to  55  per  cent,  that  is  to  say,  after  all  impurities 
including  the  natural  grease  of  the  wool  have  been 
washed  out  and  scoured  from  the  fleece,  45  to  55  per 
cent  of  the  original  weight  remains.  But  in  treating  of 
wool,  I  refer  throughout  this  book  to  its  gross  weight 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  113 

upon  being  removed  from  the  sheep,  and  its  value  in 
that  condition,  before  it  has  either  been  washed  or 
otherwise  treated. 

Cross  wools  such  as  these  described  realised  from 
8d.  to  8^d.  per  lb.  gross  price  in  the  European  mar- 
ket last  year.  Deducting  the  expenses  of  freight, 
insurance,  and  other  costs  from  this  price,  the  value 
of  cross  wools  in  Buenos  Aires  in  1891-1892  may  be 
said  to  be  15^d.  per  kilogramme  of  2'19  English 
lbs.  From  this  price  there  is  to  be  deducted  the 
belly  wool  and  small  pieces  and  skirtings  detached 
from  the  fleece,  whose  total  weight  might  be  com- 
puted at  7  per  cent  of  the  total  weight  of  the  sheep's 
fleece,  and  whose  value  may  be  taken  at  30  per  cent  of 
that  obtained  for  the  fleece  of  mother  wool. 

There  is  also  the  lambs'  wool,  which  is  generally 
removed  at  the  same  time  or  a  little  later  than  that 
of  the  sheep,  though  the  lamb  is  only  six  months  old 
if  a  merino,  and  three  months  old  if  a  cross  or  long- 
wool.  The  belly  wool  is  not  separated  from  the 
fleece  in  the  case  of  the  lambs,  and  the  whole  of  this 
tender  produce  realises  from  70  per  cent  to  80  per 
cent  of  that  obtained  for  the  mother  fleece,  say  from 
S^d.  to  6^d.  per  lb. 

We  have  thus  three  principal  divisions  of  the 
wool-clip,  which  may  be  tabulated  as  follows : — 

Cross  Wool. 
Fleece,  i.e.  Mother  Wool .  81  %  of  total  clip,  and  worth  7|d.  per  lb. 
Bellies  and  pieces   .  ■     "^  %  »  »  2|d.       „ 

Lambs' Wool  .  -12%  „  „  6|d.      „ 

I 


114 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


The  fleeces  may  again  be  divided  into  three  classes, 
— first,  second,  and  third  quality,  according  to  their 
staple.  And  frequently  two  other  classes  are  formed 
of  the  inferior,  cotted,  discoloured,  or  otherwise 
deteriorated  fleeces.  This  practice  only  obtains  with 
those  who  export  their  wools  for  sale  in  the  European 
markets ;  but  it  w^ould  be  of  unquestionable  advan- 
tage to  both  breeder  and  merchant  to  make  this 
separation  of  the  various  classes  of  wool  more  prolix 
than  it  is  at  present. 

Having  described  the  classifications  of  the  wool- 
clip,  I  need  not  allude  to  them  in  dealing  of  the 
produce  of  diff'erent  breeds  of  sheep,  as  the  same 
remarks  apply  equally  to  every  case.  The  following 
table  of  Buenos  Aires  market  prices  is  based  upon 
the  quotations  for  the  season  1891-1892  : — 


Class  of  Wool. 

Fleece  Wool 

Belly  Wool 

Lambs'  Wool 

per  lb. 

per  lb. 

per  lb. 

Merino,       yielding  32-38  % 

5ld. 

Ifd. 

4ld. 

Do.                 „         38-42  % 

7d. 

2ld. 

6d. 

Cross  Wool,     „         40-50  % 

7d. 

Hd. 

6d. 

Do.                 „         50-60  % 

7|d. 

2id. 

6ld. 

Long  Wool,     „         40-55  % 

6|d. 

2d. 

6d. 

Do.                   „           55 /upwards 

7id. 

2ld. 

eld. 

There  is  also  another  method  of  disposing  of  the 
wool,  viz.,  by  selling  it  from  the  farm  shed  to  a 
middleman  or  travelling  merchant.  But  as  this  mer- 
chant himself  sells  his  purchased  wools  in  the  city 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


market,  it  is  palpable  that  any  profit  he  may  make 
comes  out  of  the  pocket  of  the  wool-grower.  There 
are,  therefore,  only  two  proper  outlets  for  the  pro- 
duce, viz.,  by  sale  in  the  large  wool  markets  of 
Buenos  Aires,  or  by  exportation  for  sale  in  European 
centres. 

Skins. — Many  breeders  overlook  this  item  of  pro- 
duce as  of  little  importance,  and  take  small  trouble 
to  prepare  their  sheep-skins  carefully  and  obtain  top 
prices.  But  holding  in  mind  that  by  deaths  from 
natural  causes,  and  home  consumption  of  mutton, 
there  is  an  average  annual  turn-over  in  skins  varying 
from  12  up  to  20  per  cent  of  the  total  number  of 
stock  upon  the  farm,  the  better  sale  of  this  produce 
assumes  an  important  position  in  the  farm  revenue. 
Prices  vary  according  to  condition  and  length  of  wool 
on  the  pelt,  and  very  greatly  also  according  to  the 
drying  and  preparation  of  said  pelt. 

First-class  skins  from  butchered  stock,  with  a 
half  growth  of  wool  and  upwards,  realise  from  6|-d. 
to  7Jd.  per  lb. ;  the  same  skins  carelessly  dried  and 
prepared  are  worth  from  5d.  to  6d.  per  lb. 

First-class  full-sized  skins  from  dead  stock,  with  a 
half  growth  of  wool  and  upwards,  realise  from  5^d. 
to  6jd.  per  lb. ;  the  same  skins  carelessly  prepared 
are  worth  from  3jd.  to  4jd.  per  lb. 

Small  skins  from  hoggets, etc.,  short  to  half  woolled, 
carefully  prepared,  realise  from  4d.  to  5d.  per  lb.  ; 
the  same  skins  carelessly  prepared  are  worth  from  25d. 
to  3jd.  per  lb. 


ii6  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

Tallow. — This  article  has  fallen  greatly  in  value 
in  the  past  few  years,  and  there  is  no  immediate 
prospect  of  an  improvement  in  ruling  prices.  It  has 
moreover  ceased  to  be  a  produce  of  any  great  import 
with  sheep-breeders,  the  days  of  boiling  down  having 
long  since  passed  by.  But  at  certain  seasons,  more 
especially  during  the  lambing  time,  when  many  fat 
ewes  die,  there  is  a  supply  of  tallow,  and  it  is  well  to 
prepare  it  carefully  for  the  market,  frying  it  in  a 
large  caldron,  straining  it  through  one  or  two  cooling 
tanks,  and  working  it  up  into  pipes.  Tallow  so  pre- 
pared will  realise  2^d.  per  lb.  In  its  natural  state, 
carelessly  dried,  discoloured,  and  pounded  into  an 
old  barrel,  with  dust,  dirt,  and  other  impurities,  as  is 
too  frequently  the  case,  it  is  worth  little  more  than 
Id.  per  lb. 

Building,  Construction,  and  Fencing. 

To  the  prospective  colonist  it  is  of  considerable 
importance  to  know  what  the  cost  of  material  is  in 
the  country  he  has  selected  for  the  investment  of  his 
capital.  It  may  be  of  some  assistance,  therefore,  to 
give  a  brief  outline  of  the  price  of  those  articles  most 
frequently  employed  in  the  construction  of  edifices 
and  plant  necessary  to  a  sheep  farm. 

Building. 

Bricks. — These  are  generally  contracted  for  to  be 
made  on  the  land  where  the  construction  is  being 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  u? 


carried  on,  and  as  near  the  site  of  the  building  as 
possible.  They  are  made  of  common  black  earth, 
and  measure  when  burned  12"  x  6"  x  2j".  They  are 
excellent  for  building  a  one-  or  two-storeyed  house. 
The  contract  price  for  a  quantity  not  less  than 
50,000  is  from  10s.  to  12s.  per  mil,  and  the 
employer  accepts  both  classes  of  brick  at  this  price. 
Class  1  is  termed  ladrillo  de  col,  or  lime-brick,  and 
is  thoroughly  burned,  and  useful  for  all  sorts  of 
construction.  Class  2  is  termed  ladiillo  de  pared, 
or  wall-brick,  and  is  imperfectly  burned,  and  chiefly 
employed  for  interior  walls.  A  good  brickmaker 
should  turn  out  65  per  cent  first-class  bricks.  The 
employer  provides  the  brickmaker  with  water  for  the 
work,  fuel  for  the  kiln,  meat,  rice,  salt,  and  Para- 
guayan tea.  The  maker  finds  his  own  men,  and 
delivers  the  bricks  at  the  kiln.  One  square  yard  of 
wall,  one  brick  thick,  contains  99  bricks. 

Sand. — If  not  to  be  found  on  the  farm,  can  gene- 
rally be  obtained  for  little  more  than  the  cost  of 
freight. 

Jjime. — First-class,  unslaked  Cordoba  lime  costs 
5s.  per  cwt.  in  the  city  of  Buenos  Aires. 

Second-class,  unslaked  Azul  lime  costs  3s.  9cl. 
per  cwt.  in  the  city  of  Buenos  Aires. 

Roman  Cement,  2s.  2d.  per  cwt.  in  Buenos  Aires. 

Portland  Cement,  2s.  3d.  per  cwt.  in  Buenos 
Aires. 

Floor  tiles,  96  s.  per  thousand  in  Buenos  Aires. 

Roof  tiles,  220s.  do.  do. 


ii8  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

Corrugated  Iron,  3s.  6d.  per  sq.  yard  in  Buenos 
Aires. 

White  pine  in  hoards,  etc.,  2d.  per   sq.  foot  of 
1"  thickness. 

Spruce  pine  in  boards,  etc.,  l^d.  per  sq.  foot  of 
1"  thickness. 

Pitch  pine  in  boards,  etc.,  2^d.  per  sq.  foot  of 
1"  thickness. 

Paraguayan  cedar,  for  doors,  windows,  and 
frames.  If d.  per  sq.  foot  of  1"  thickness. 

Nails,  French  pointed,  1"  to  6"  in  length,  7^d. 
per  lb. 

Labour. — The  work  of  building  can  be  contracted 
for  at  from  Is.  to  Is.  4d.  per  sq.  yard  of  wall,  one 
brick  thick ;  Is.  4d.  to  Is.  7d.  per  sq.  yard  of  wall, 
Ij  bricks  thick;  9d.  to  lOd.  per  sq.  yard  of  interior 
wall,  J  brick  thick.  Master  bricklayers  and  carpenters 
are  paid  from  5s.  to  7s.  per  diem,  including  food ; 
common  labourers  at  from  3s.  6d.  to  4s.  6d.  per  diem, 
including  food. 

Wire-Fencing. 

As  this  is  most  essential  to  the  management  of 
a  well-conducted  sheep  farm,  it  will  probably  figure 
in  the  forecast  of  the  intending  colonist.  The 
fence  most  frequently  constructed  is  made  of  steel 
galvanised  wire;  hard- wood  posts  at  from  16  to  24 
yards  apart ;  droppers  of  hard  wood  or  X  i^'^n  every 
2  or  2^  yards ;  the  wires,  seven  in  number,  and  so 
spaced  as  to  render  the  fence  sheep  and  cattle  proof. 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  119 

Posts. — Of  hard  wood,  nanduhay  or  algarroha, 

native  timber,  nearly  indestructible,  and  measuring 

about   8   feet  in  length,  by  from   5   to   8   inches  in 

diameter. 

First  Class,  3s,  6d.  to  4s.  each. 

Second  Class,  2s.          to  3s.     „ 

Third  Class,  Is.  3d.  to  2s.     „ 

Galvanised  Steel  Wire. — No.  7  or  8,  giving  say 
520  yards  per  roll.     Cost  per  roll,  lis. 

Hard-wood  droppers,  ready  bored,  45s.  per  100. 

Common  pine  droppers,         do.  25s.      do. 

Double  T  iron  droppers,      do.         30s.     do. 

Wire  Stretchers,  for  tightening  wire ;  double, 
Is.  6d.  each. 

Labour. — Fences  are  always  contracted  for.  Usual 
price,  l^d.  to  Ifd.  per  lineal  yard,  including  meat  but 
nothing  more.  Material  to  be  delivered  to  the  fence 
men  on  the  line  of  fence.  Contractor  finds  his  own 
tools,  men,  tent  accommodation,  and  provisions.  He 
undertakes  to  set  up  the  line  of  fence  in  perfect 
accordance  with  the  land  marks,  and  to  deliver  it  in 
perfect  condition  to  the  employer. 

With  the  above  prices  an  intending  colonist 
should  be  able  to  make  a  fair  calculation  of  what  his 
expenditure  will  be  before  his  run  is  in  that  state  of 
organisation  necessary  to  a  well-conducted  establish- 
ment. It  may,  however,  be  of  assistance  to  give  in 
round  sums  the  cost  of  most  of  the  buildings  and 
constructions  usually  connected  with  a  sheep  run. 
The  following  estimates  are  all  taken  from  practical 
building  experience  of  recent  date.     It  is  understood 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


that  the  colonist  superintends  the  work  himself  to  a 
certain  extent,  does  not  make  unprovisional  contracts 
and  pay  unnecessary  margins  to  the  contractor,  and 
adapts  his  style  of  construction  to  the  usage  of  the 
country,  employing  the  material  easiest  obtainable. 

Dwelling-House. 

Constructed  of  brick  and  lime ;  walls  plastered 
without  and  within  with  a  good  coating  of  cement ; 
floors  tiled  ;  ceilings  of  lath  and  plaster,  or  of  wood  ; 
roof  of  French  tiles,  or  of  corrugated  iron  painted  and 
wood -lined  ;  windows  and  doors  of  cedar,  glazed  and 
painted.  A  house  of  say  eight  rooms  including 
kitchen,  in  perfect  order  for  habitation,  but  un- 
furnished. Three  rooms  to  be  not  less  than  320  sq. 
feet  inside  measurement ;  five  rooms  to  be  not  less 
than  220  sq.  feet  inside  measurement.  Verandah  in 
front  8  feet  wide,  with  hard-wood  pillars,  wood-lined 
roof  and  tiled  floor.  Total  cost  of  edifice,  from  £600 
to  £800. 

Wooden  Dwelling-House. 

Eaised  from  the  ground,  with  a  verandah  on  either 
side ;  five  rooms,  three  of  which  to  be  of  an  interior 
measurement  not  less  than  320  sq.  feet,  and  two  of 
an  interior  measurement  not  less  than  220  sq.  feet. 
Corrugated  iron  roof  wood  -  lined  ;  walls  panelled  ; 
wooden  floor.  Doors  and  windows  glazed.  House 
painted  and  finished,  ready  for  habitation,  but  not 
furnished.      Total  cost  of  edifice,  £300  to  £500. 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


DWELLING-HOUSE   FOR   LABOURERS   WITH    KiTCHEN 

AND  Attic  Loft. 
Walls  of  brick  and  lime;  exterior  roughly  plastered ; 
interior  walls  mud  plastered  and  white-washed  ;  roof 
of  corrugated  iron  wood-lined.  Floor  of  attic  loft  of 
inch  pine  ;  ground  floor  of  bricks  set  in  mud.  Inside 
measurement  of  kitchen  18  ft.  x  18  ft. ;  five  bedrooms 
of  8  ft.  X  18  ft.  Total  cost,  ready  for  habitation, 
£300  to  £450. 

Shed  for  Storing  Wool  and  other  Produce. 
Walls  of  brick  with  lime  :  earth  floor  :  corrugated 
iron  roof.     Measurement  not  less  than  35  ft.  x  70  ft. 
Double  running  doors;  half- open  loft.     Total  cost, 
£300  to  £400. 

Wooden  Shed  for  Wool  and  General  Stores. 
Sides  of  inch  pine ;  corrugated  iron  roof ;   double 
running  doors ;  half-open  loft.     Measurement  not  less 
than  40  ft.  X  80  ft.     Total  cost,  £240  ^o  £280. 

Brick  House  with  Corrugated  Iron  Roof,  to  serve 
AS  Butcher's  Shop,  Carpenter's  Shop,  Store- 
RooM,  etc. 

Divisionary  walls,  of  brick  set  in  lime ;  roof  wood- 
lined  ;  butcher's  shop  fitted  up  with  hooks,  grease 
bins,  etc.  Double  and  single  doors.  Exterior 
measurement  not  less  than  20  ft.  x  48  ft.  Total 
cost,  £250  ^0  £300. 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


Shepherd's  Houses. 

Brick. — Exterior  measurement  18  ft.  x  32  ft.; 
with  attic  storey,  comprising  in  all  three  rooms  and  a 
kitchen.  Roof  of  corrugated  iron  wood-lined ;  floor 
of  bricks  set  in  mud ;  mud  plastered  and  whitewashed 
inside.      Total  cost,  £80  ^o  £120. 

Wood. — Corrugated  iron  roof ;  wooden  walls. 
Two  rooms.  Measurement  16  ft.  x  26  ft.  Total  cost, 
£35  to  £45. 

Wattle. — Walls  of  thick  wattle  ;  thatched  roof. 
Comfortable  hut  measuring  16  ft.  x  24  ft.  Total  cost, 
from  £16  to  £20. 

Dipping  Plant. 

For  scab  curing.  Bath  20  yards  long,  with  tanks 
for  preparation  of  the  dip.  Construction  of  bricks  and 
lime,  plastered  with  Portland  cement.  Two  dripping 
or  drying  pens  measuring  6  yds.  x  12  yds.  each ;  floor 
of  tiles.  Yards  capable  of  holding  and  working  up  to 
3000  sheep  at  one  time.      Total  cost,  complete,  £400. 

Sheep  Yards. 
For  working  say  3000  sheep  at  one  time.     Rails 
of  spruce  upon  hard- wood  posts ;  running  gates,  etc. 
Cost  complete,  £35  to  £40. 

Fences. 

Hard-wood  posts  at  from  16  to  24  yds.  apart;  7 
wires ;  droppers  every  2  yds.  Sheep  and  cattle 
proof     £80  to  £120  per  lineal  mile. 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


Taxation. 

At  present  time  there  is  no  fixed  national  law  with 
respect  to  a  poll-tax  on  stock,  though  in  some  of  the 
Provinces  a  local  law  of  this  nature  has  been  recently 
framed.  The  Province  of  Buenos  Aires,  which  stands 
at  the  head  of  the  sheep-growing  States,  is  exempt 
from  a  poll-tax  of  this  description. 

There  is  an  annual  tax  upon  all  land,  entitled  the 
Direct  Contribution.  The  land  is  valued  each  year 
by  an  ofiicial  assessor,  who  sends  a  schedule  of  his 
assessment  to  the  land-owner.  If  the  latter  deems 
his  land  over- valued  he  has  the  right  of  appeal  to  a 
local  and  popularly  appointed  jury,  and  if  his  claim  be 
just  he  obtains  a  rebate.  The  general  standard  for 
this  valuation  is  two-thirds  of  the  market  value  of 
the  land.  The  tax  is  one-half  per  cent,  or  5  per 
mil,  on  the  amount.  Permanent  constructions  are 
taxed  on  the  same  basis. 

There  is  a  wheel  tax  on  all  vehicles,  carts  or 
carriages.  In  1892  this  tax  was  $12,  national 
currency;  equal  to  15s, 

The  reo;istration  of  a  cattle  brand  is  charo;ed  with 
$25,  national  currency;  equal  to  30s.  in  1892.  A 
transference  of  same  costs  $5,  equal  to  6s. 

The  registration  of  an  ear-mark  costs  $10,  say 
12s.;  a  transference  of  same  $5,  equal  to  6s. 

The  tax  on  cattle-brands  and  ear-marks  is  not 
annual,  but  once  and  for  always. 

Produce  when  sent  to  the  market  is  taxed  in  the 


124  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

following  manner  : — The  producer  sends  a  certificate 
to  the  local  authorities,  announcing  his  intention  of 
remitting  such  and  such  produce  to  the  market  for 
sale  there.  He  affixes  a  stamp  of  5  cents.  He 
obtains  in  exchange  a  guia  de  campana,  or  permit, 
for  which  he  pays  a  municipal  charge  of  $2,  national 
currency  (2s.  6d.  in  1892),  as  well  as  the  following 
tariff  tax : — 

Sheep-skins,  7  cents  (Id.)  per  10  kilograms  (21^^^  lbs.) 

Lamb-skins,  4  cents  (|d.)     ,,     12  skins. 

Wool,  7  cents  (Id.)     „     10  kilograms  (2 1^^^  lbs.) 

All  live  stock  removed  from  one  department  to 
another  pays  the  same  municipal  charge  of  $2,  and 
one  cent  (a  little  more  than  -I-  of  Id.)  per  sheep.  This 
tax  is  not  levied  when  stock  is  removed  on  account  of 
epidemic,  drought,  or  flood. 

Live  stock  remitted  for  butcher  purposes  pays  the 
same  municipal  tax  of  $2,  and  10  cents  (Ifd.)  per 
head.  The  same  charge  is  levied  on  stock  exported 
to  or  imported  from  other  countries. 

There  are  some  minor  taxes,  such  as  that  upon  dogs, 
which  amounts  to  about  3s.  per  dog ;  but  so  insigni- 
ficant as  to  deserve  little  notice.  The  more  important 
ones  are  those  which  I  have  already  enumerated. 

There  is  a  Rural  Code,  framed  in  1856,  which 
treats  of  land  and  stock,  the  conditions  under  which 
boundary  fences  are  to  be  constructed,  the  impounding 
of  stray  stock,  and  the  general  legislation  in  rural 
matters.     This  code  is  at  present  being  revised  and 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


altered  by  a  competent  commission  named  by  Govern- 
ment, in  order  to  meet  the  exigencies  which  the 
progress  in  stock-breeding  and  agriculture  during  the 
past  thirty-six  years  renders  necessary.  It  would  be 
of  little  assistance  therefore  to  append  the  translation 
of  a  code  which  will  probably  be  remodelled  in  a  few 
months. 

Before  closing  this  chapter  upon  prices,  it  may  be 
of  some  interest  to  the  reader  to  have  a  general  out- 
line of  capital  invested  and  revenue  therefrom,  treating 
of  a  sheep  farm  in  the  Argentine  at  the  present  time. 
Two  square  leagues,  or  say  13,332  acres  of  land — 
capable  of  carrying  16,000  head  of  sheep,  1600  head 
of  cattle,  and  200  horses  and  mares — are  supposed  to 
be  purchased  at  a  price  of  25s.  per  acre.  There  is 
a  steading  in  need  of  some  repair,  and  incomplete 
paddocks  which  necessitate  an  extra  six  miles  of 
fencing.  It  is  necessary  to  include  cattle  and  horses 
in  this  table,  as  they  are  inseparable  from  the  more 
remunerative  sheep  upon  a  farm.  The  sheep  are 
supposed  to  be  Lincoln  crosses,  costing  9s.  per  head. 
The  cattle  are  of  an  average  quality  and  cost  lis.  per 
head.  The  rams,  bulls,  and  horses  are  estimated  at 
current  prices.  Though  the  outlay  in  capital  is 
stated,  in  order  to  ascertain  the  percentage  of  net 
annual  profits,  it  is  nevertheless  presumed  that  the 
estate  is  in  thorough  working  gear  at  the  time  of 
finding  the  total  annual  revenue.  It  is  only  natural 
that  in  the  first  year  there  occur  certain  working 
expenses  and  losses  which  would  not  be  repeated ;  it 


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THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY  127 

would  be  misleading,  therefore,  to  take  the  first  year 
as  a  fair  test. 

In  addition  to  the  1  If  per  cent  net  profit  upon 
capital  outlay  there  is  to  be  added  the  improvement 
in  the  value  of  stock  from  selling  ofi"  the  most  in- 
ferior. There  is  a  further  indirect  profit  in  the 
increasing  value  of  the  land. 

This  forecast  deals  with  an  average  class  of  sheep 
treated  in  an  ordinary  way.  There  is  room  to 
increase  the  annual  turn  -  over  by  an  intelligent 
administration  of  the  estate.  The  percentage 
allowed  for  working  expenses  on  a  farm  supposed 
to  be  divided  into  paddocks  not  only  covers  every- 
thing, but  is  probably  in  excess  of  what  it  would 
really  amount  to.  But  it  is  better  on  the  one  hand 
to  count  upon  poor  prices  and  a  medium  increase, 
and  on  the  other  upon  more  than  usual  expenditure. 
Even  so  the  results  are  sufiiciently  inviting  to 
encourage  colonists. 


WEIGHTS   AND   MEASURES. 

Lineal. 

Lineal  league  =  6000' Span.  yds.  =  5196  metres  =  5682  Eng.  yards. 
Kilometrical  lineal  league  =5000      ,,      =5468  ,, 

Lineal"square"  =  150Span.yds.=   130      ,,      =   142  ,, 

Kilometre  =1000      ,,      =1094 

Metre  =39-37  inches. 

Spanish  "  vara  "  or  yard  =86'6  centimet.  =34'09      ,, 

Old  Lineal  Measurement. 
150  "  varas"  =  l  square. 
40  squares      =1  league. 
New  Lineal  Measurement. 

1000  metres  =  1  kilometre. 

5  kilometres  =  1  kilometrical  league. 


128 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


Superficial. 

Square  league  =  1600  "  squares  "  =  2699'84  heetares  =  6671"69  acres. 
"Square"       =  1  hectare,  68  areas,  74  centiares         =        4'17      ,, 

Do.  =22,500sq.Sp.  yds.  =16,874  sq.  metres  =  20, 182  sq.  yds. 

Kilometrical  sq.  Ieague  =  148r56  "squares "  =  2500  hect.  =  6177'86  acres. 
Hectare  =2-47  ,, 

Old  Square  Meas^irement. 

150  "varas"xl50  "varas"  =  l  square. 


1600  squares 
Neiv  Square  Measurevient. 

100  sq.  metres 

100  areas 
2500  hectares 
2699-84  ,, 


=  1  sq.  league. 

=  1  area. 

=  1  hectare. 

=  1  kil.  sq.  league. 

=  lold 


"\Veight.s. 

Old  Measurenwnt. 

1  Arg.  lb.  = -4594  kilogrammes  =     1*0128  Eng.  lbs. 

1  arroba    =25  Arg.  lbs.  =11-4850  kilogs.  =   25-3201       ,, 
1  quintal  =4  arrobas      =45-9400       ,,      =101-2803       ,, 
New  Measurement. 

1  kilogramme  =  2 -1767  Arg.  lbs.  =  2 -2046  Eng.  lbs. 

SALES  OF  PRODUCE. 
All  farm  produce  is  now  sold  by  weight. 


Wool  . 

Sheep-skins 

Tallow 

Cow-hides  . 

Horse-hides 

Horse-hair 

Grain 


Formerly  sold  by 

Now  sold  by 

Arroba  of  25  Arg.  lbs. 

10  kilogs. 

do. 

kilog. 

do. 

10  kilos. 

"  Pesada  "  of  34  lbs. 

10      „ 

Arroba  of  25    , , 

10      „ 

do. 

10      ,, 

■  Fanega  "—say  210  lbs.       100 


CHAPTER   V 

OF  THE  CHIEF  DISEASES  IX  SHEEP,  AND  THEIR  TREAT- 
MENT IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC — OF  POISONOUS 
WEEDS 

It  is  not  proposed  in  this  work  to  treat  of  the  organic 
or  accidental  diseases  in  sheep,  but  only  of  those 
whose  epidemic  character  affects  the  whole  economy 
of  a  sheep  farm.  For  the  individual  treatment  of 
special  diseases  in  animals  whose  value  entitles  them 
to  singular  care,  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  numerous 
standard  works  already  existing  on  the  subject. 

Scab  {PsoToptes  communis).  —  This  is  pre-emi- 
nently the  worst  enemy  with  which  the  Argentine 
sheep-breeder  has  to  contend.  The  disease  is  com- 
monly reputed  to  have  been  introduced  into  the 
country  in  1838,  when  a  shipment  of  German 
merinos,  infested  with  the  malady,  were  imported 
to  Buenos  Aires.  But  there  are  certain  atmospheric 
and  natural  circumstances  which  go  far  to  prove  that 
if  scab  was  not  at  all  times  a  disease  native  to  the 
Argentine  Republic,  it  at  any  rate  found  a  soil 
peculiarly  favourable  for  its  development.  That  it 
should  have  only  merited  general  attention  in  1838 

K 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


is  not  surprising  when  one  remembers  that  the  sheep- 
breeding  industry  in  the  Kiver  Plate  practically  dates 
from  1835.  The  more  assiduous  tending  of  flocks, 
the  bringing  of  sheep  to  yards  and  other  centres  of 
contaofion,  and  the  introduction  of  new  blood  into  the 
semi-wild  droves,  would  naturally  have  the  efl"ect  of 
developing  the  contagious  character  of  the  disease. 

To  draw  a  parallel  between  the  Argentine  Republic 
and  Australia'  is  misleading  in  the  extreme.     Given 
equal  conditions  in  all  other  respects,  we  have  here  to 
contend  with  a  climate  which  is  specially  adapted  for 
breeding  scab.     The   atmosphere  in  the  great  sheep 
country,  viz.  the  Province  of  Buenos  Aires,  is  very 
humid,  and  this  is  the  particular  condition  required 
for   the   production    of  the   acari.      As    one   travels 
farther    west   toward   the    Pampa    Central   and   the 
Cordilleras,  scab  is  found  to  become    less    frequent. 
This  is  partly  due  to  the   extensive  run  enjoyed  by 
each  flock,  and  their  scattered  condition ;  but  it  is 
also   due   in  part  to  the  aridity  of  the  atmosphere, 
which  is   uncongenial   to  the  scab  insect.      As  one 
returns  towards  the  coast  and  enters  the  moist  dis- 
trict, the  ravages  of  scab   at  once  show  themselves. 
Thus  not  only  have  we  to  militate  with  a  disease 
universally  contagious,  but  we  have  to  treat  it  under 
circumstances  peculiarly  favourable  for  its  production. 
Scab  has  not  been  eradicated  in  New  Zealand,  chiefly 
owing  to  the  fact  that  in  the  hill-country  some  of  the 
sheep  gain  impenetrable    or   inaccessible  spots,  and 
cannot  be  collected  for  dipping.      Scab  has  not  been 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUI5LIC 


eradicated  in  England  nor  on  tbe  Continent ;  but 
both  there  and  in  every  other  country,  except  perhaps 
the  Argentine,  the  disease  is  systematically  treated, 
and  so  kept  down  that  it  takes  a  second  or  third 
rank  amongst  the  many  enemies  of  the  bleaters.  So 
it  should  be  in  the  River  Plate,  and  the  sheep-breeder 
who  honestly  grasps  his  nettle  and  establishes  a  detail 
system  in  his  treatment  of  the  disease,  will  eventually 
find  that,  though  unable  to  entirely  stamp  out  the 
evil,  he  can  keep  it  within  such  reasonable  bounds 
as  to  no  longer  occasion  him  either  loss  of  time  or 
expense. 

As  contagion  is  the  first  cause  of  the  propagation 
of  scab,  so  it  should  be  the  first  matter  treated. 
Every  spot  where  sheep  gather  together  must  be 
revised  daily  to  see  that  no  means  of  communicating 
the  disease  exist,  or  are  created.  Where  sheep  mob 
together  at  mid-day,  care  should  be  taken  that  any 
posts  or  wire  in-  their  vicinity  are  whitewashed  and 
tags  of  wool  removed.  All  fences  of  the  paddocks 
should  be  revised  daily,  and  if  any  tags  of  wool  are 
found  upon  the  wires  these  should  be  removed  :  loose 
wool  lying  about  upon  the  ground  should  be  destroyed. 
It  is  as  well  to  keep  sheep  from  frequenting  favourite 
bare  spots,  where  they  come  too  much  in  contact  with 
one  another.  By  thus  paying  attention  to  the  stock 
during  the  time  it  is  afield,  feeding,  and  sleeping,  and 
keeping  it  away  from  all  points  of  contagion,  one  of 
the  chief  causes  of  the  propagation  of  scab  is  removed. 

But  of  course  the  flock  must  come  to  the  yard 


132  THE  SHEEP-BREEDIXG  INDUSTRY 

now  and  then,  and  here  is  the  chief  dauger.  The 
yard  in  which  the  flock  is  to  be  worked  should  be 
constructed  with  a  view  to  delaying  the  flock  as  little 
time  as  possible  there.  It  should  have  a  race  with  a 
partiug  gate,  so  that  wethers,  crocks,  culls,  and  so 
forth  can  be  parted  as  rapidly  as  possible.  AVherever 
a  portion  of  a  flock  is  to  be  removed  or  treated  in 
any  way,  the  first  operation  should  be  to  _2^«r^  that 
portion,  in  order  that  the  remainder  of  the  flock  may 
run  back  to  pasture  as  soon  as  possible.  Eaces  are 
indispensable.  Running  gates,  instead  of  either 
hinged  ones  or  gates  tied  with  wire,  should  be  used ; 
it  saves  time.  In  short,  every  improvement  which 
facilitates  the  rapid  working  of  the  flock  should  be 
introduced. 

The  system  of  hand-curing  or  pouring  is  one  of 
the  most  active  causes  of  the  propagation  of  scab  by 
contagion.  A  flock  is  yarded  in  the  morning,  and 
the  shepherd,  accompanied  by  an  assistant  or  two, 
proceeds  to  hand-cure  the  infected  sheep.  He  drives 
a  portion  of  the  flock  into  the  working  pen,  and 
selectinof  an  infected  animal  he  throws  it  down  and 
proceeds  to  examine  it  in  search  of  the  pus- 
formed  eruption,  or  granito  as  he  calls  it.  This 
he  softens  with  his  hands  and  soaks  with  remedy, 
generally  applied  doubly  strong,  for  no  earthly  reason 
except  that  he  thinks  it  will  be  doubly  efi"ective.  A 
doctor  acting  on  the  same  principle  would  kill  more 
patients  than  he  would  cure.  This  wearisome  process 
goes  on   until   the  shepherd  is  satisfied  that   every 


IX  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


infected  sheep  in  the  pen  has  been  treated.  Another 
2wint  of  sheep  is  then  driven  into  the  pen  and  the 
same  treatment  is  observed  until  the  whole  flock  has 
been  worked,  by  which  time  the  day  is  generally  spent. 
It  is  noteworthy  to  enumerate  the  amount  of  well- 
nigh  irreparable  damage  this  misguided  son  of  toil 
has  achieved  in  a  single  day  : — 

1 .  Presuming  that  the  flock  was  in  a  fairly  sound  con- 
dition, it  may  be  calculated  that  20  per  cent  of  the  total 
number  have  been  treated  for  scab;  consequently  80  per 
cent  have  been  kept  in  close  contact  with  their  infected 
fellows  for  a  period  varying  from  three  to  nine  hours. 

2.  The  same  80  per  cent  have  been  unnecessarily 
kept  from  feeding  for  the  same  period. 

3.  The  shepherd  has  a  habit  of  pulling  out  all  the 
loose  wool  he  finds  upon  the  spot  attacked  by  the 
acari,  and  this  loose  w^ool  he  throws  upon  the  ground. 
In  an  hour  or  two  he  has  the  pen  strewed  with  tags 
of  infected  wool,  and  upon  this  bed  of  disease  he  not 
unfrequeutly  throws  down  a  sound  sheep  to  examine  it. 
I  have  seen  a  sound  sheep  leave  the  pen  with  three  or 
four  tags  of  scabby  wool  sticking  to  its  back. 

4.  Even  those  sheep  treated  for  the  scab  may 
have  been  cured  in  one  sjDot,  and  left  untouched  in 
another.  An  occasional  sheep  escapes  the  vigilance 
of  the  shepherd,  and  leaves  the  pen  uncured. 

5.  The  efi"ect  of  the  over-strong  remedy  discolours 
a  portion  of  the  fleece,  stunts  its  growth,  and  burns 
and  blunts  the  serrations  of  the  wool,  causing  that 
harsh  dull  touch  so  well  known  to  wool-staplers. 


134  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

6.  By  the  end  of  the  day  the  disease  has  been  pro- 
pagated to  an  extent  far  superior  to  its  previous  state. 

7.  A  day's  work  has  been  lost,  and  a  considerable 
sum  of  money  wantonly  squandered. 

A  more  complete  method  of  "  how  not  to  do  it " 
could  scarcely  be  conceived.  Hand-curing  should  be 
entirely  abolished  in  treating  large  flocks  of  sheep. 
It  can  only  be  used  in  the  case  of  a  small  stud,  where 
the  shepherd  detects  the  very  first  apparition  of  the 
disease,  and  separates  the  infected  animal  from  its 
fellows  before  the  acari  have  had  time  to  propagate. 
Even  in  such  cases  the  man  must  be  thoroughly  up 
to  his  work,  and  use  the  remedy  discreetly.  And 
upon  no  account  should  he  pull  out  the  wool  which 
he  finds  partially  loosened  upon  the  infected  spot.  If 
he  does  so,  he  is  leaving  in  the  pen  or  yard  where  he  is 
working  another  sure  and  certain  cause  of  contagion. 

To  treat  scab  systematically  and  in  such  a  way 
as  to  render  it  a  mere  casual  disease  and  one  that 
occasions  little  expense,  there  is  only  one  form,  and 
that  is  to  construct  a  bath  with  dipping  appliances. 
A  well-organised  run  requires  one  bath  for  every 
25,000  sheep.  If  a  greater  number  than  this  has  to 
be  brought  to  the  same  dip,  there  is  a  danger  of  throw- 
ing the  dipping  rotation  in  arrear,  and  if  this  occurs 
the  object  is  entirely  lost.  Within  twenty  days  after 
shearing,  the  flock  should  be  dipped,  each  sheep 
remaining  immersed  not  less  than  fifty  seconds. 
While  the  flock  is  being  dipped,  the  paddock  or  run 
whence  it  comes  should   be  revised   to  see  that  no 


To  ^cui&'  na^e  /3^ 


PLAN    OF    S  HEEP  -  DIP 

WITH        Y  AR  D5 


RESTING      YARD 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  135 

stray  animal  has  remained,  or  dead  slieep  been  left 
with  the  skin  imremoved.  Once  dipped,  care  should 
be  taken  that  the  flock  enters  no  yard  where  unsound 
sheep  have  been,  or  where  sheep-skins  are  hanging, 
or  where  any  other  source  of  contagion  exists. 

If  the  flock  is  kept  in  the  open  the  greatest  care 
must  be  taken  that  no  undipped  sheep  strays  in  amongst 
the  dipped  ones ;  the  latter  can  be  raddled  at  the 
bath  to  distinguish  them  the  easier,  though  generally 
the  dark  colour  left  by  the  dip  is  sufiicient.  The 
flocks  should  be  dipped  in  rotation,  especially  in  the 
case  where  they  are  shepherded  in  the  open,  un- 
divided from  one  another  by  fences. 

Not  later  than  fifteen  days  after  the  first  dip, 
the  flock  should  be  dipped  for  a  second  time,  observ- 
ing the  same  care  as  upon  the  first  occasion.  After 
this  second  bath  the  flock  should  be  revised  not  less 
frequently  than  once  every  ten  days,  and  all  animals 
showing  the  least  sign  of  scab  should  be  raddled, 
parted  out  in  the  race,  brought  to  the  bath,  and 
dipped.  It  is  in  these  revisions  that  the  greatest  care 
is  required.  If  the  first  two  baths  have  been  as 
efl'ective  as  they  should  be,  the  scab  will  be  almost 
entirely  eradicated.  A  competent  shepherd,  with  a 
good  working  yard,  should  be  able  to  run  a  flock  of 
2000  head  through  in  two  hours  at  the  outside.  He 
should  never  catch  a  sheep,  but,  raddle  in  hand,  mark 
all  the  doubtful  ones,  separating  them  in  the  race  and 
dipping  them.  Following  this  system  with  care  the 
scab  will  be  brought  to  so  low  an  ebb  that  by  lambing 


136  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

time  the  ewes  may  be  left  iintouclied  for  two  or  three 
months.  This  means  a  saving  of  5  to  10  per  cent 
in  the  lambs,  and  an  increase  of  about  the  same 
percentage  in  the  wool  return. 

Upon  tlie  construction  of  the  bath  there  is  no 
occasion  to  dwell  at  too  great  length.  The  dimensions 
of  a  bath  should  be  more  or  less  as  follows  :  Length, 
24  metres  ;  sloping  sides,  width  at  top  80  centimetres, 
at  bottom  10  centimetres  ;  depth,  120  centimetres;  a 
well-graded  slope  both  at  entry  and  exit.  In  such  a 
bath  an  average  -  sized  sheep  will  swim  in  1100 
gallons,  and  will  remain  immersed  55  seconds.  The 
entry  should  decline  gradually  down,  and  a  great 
number  of  sheep  will  enter  of  their  own  accord.  If 
the  bath  be  constructed  above  the  ground-level,  or 
only  half  sunk  in  the  ground,  it  facilitates  the  empty- 
ing of  it ;  and,  moreover,  the  sheep  will  have  to  run 
up  a  slope  to  get  to  the  entry  of  the  bath,  which  is 
always  an  advantage.  The  yard  should  be  circular, 
the  sheep  coming  up  to  the  bath  at  right  angles  to  it. 
The  dripping  pens  where  the  sheep  stand  after 
emerging  from  the  swim,  should  be,  say  6  metres 
by  12  metres  each,  capable  of  holding  280  head, 
with  a  pendant  of  2  J  centimetres  to  the  metre  both 
from  sides  and  far  end  to  the  point  of  the  bath, 
where  a  small  well  or  siphon  of  the  same  depth  and 
superficial  measurement  as  the  bath  should  be  con- 
structed in  order  to  receive  the  drip  from  the  sheejD. 
The  communication  between  this  well  and  the  bath 
should  be  at  the  top,  in  order  to  let  the   dirt  and 


Toya./:^^  pa^e  136. 


PLAN    AND    VERTICAL     SECTION 
OF     DIPPING     BATH. 


Xien^ih.  of  Baih^ 24  -metres 

W£di/t  at-  Top 80  cen^meir&s 

Dej,t7i J^       

JdeasuT-emeni  ofDejwsits  ^ 
fejr  preparing  Te.niec^  \ 
Capacziy  afeticADepasit   JZ50  gall^>rus 

\J030  to  IJOO  ffaZZoTis 


SECTION       A 
Scale-  I  50. 


IX  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  137 


sediment  settle  to  tlie  bottom,  and  not  run  into  the 
dip.  It  should  also  have  a  communication  with  a 
ditch  on  the  outside,  in  order  to  run  off  the  rainfall 
from  the  dripping  pens  when  this  is  necessary.  Much 
ingenuity  has  been  exercised  in  tlie  contrivance  of 
mechanical  apparatus  for  immersing  the  sheep  in  the 
dip  ;  but  these  flights  of  rustic  engineering  skill  are 
somewhat  beside  the  mark.  It  can  be  a  matter  of 
small  satisfaction  to  the  breeder  to  have  succeeded  in 
loading  his  bath  at  the  rate  of  50  sheep  per  minute, 
or  running  through  10,000  head  per  diem,  if  the 
animals  are  improperly  dipped  and  come  out  at  the 
other  end  still  infested  with  scab.  Too  much  outlay 
and  thought  in  this  direction  is  misapplied.  The 
reader  will  find  the  plans  accompanying  this  chapter 
simple  and  of  easy  execution,  and  a  bath  built  in 
accordance  with  them  will  prove  effective. 

Most  of  the  remedies  on  sale  in  the  market  are 
cfiicacious.  The  New^  Zealand  inspectors  specially 
recommend  the  use  of  sulphur  as  one  of  the  ingredi- 
ents of  a  sheep  dip,  in  order  to  protect  the  animal 
from  subsequent  attacks  of  the  acari  by  comino-  in 
contact  with  trees,  fences,  etc.,  where  the  parasites 
have  been  known  to  exist  for  a  long  period  away  from 
the  sheep.  Some  dips  are  injurious  to  the  wool  and 
should  be  avoided  for  that  reason ;  and  it  is  on  this 
account  that  many  prefer  leaf  tobacco,  which,  though 
costly  and  not  easily  manipulated,  gives  a  fine  soft 
character  to  the  fleece  and  encourages  its  growth. 
AVhen  practicable,   it  is  better  to    use   the   remedy 


138  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

warm,  and  it  will  be  found  more  thorougli  in  its 
results.  But  the  main  object  is  to  keep  tlie  dip  as 
clean  as  possible,  the  remedy  always  mixed  in  the 
right  proportion,  and  see  that  every  sheep  remains 
immersed  a  minimum  period  of  fifty  seconds. 

There  are  other  causes  which  indirectly  promote 
the  propagation  of  scab,  and  which  must  be  attended 
to  in  order  to  secure  complete  success.  Not  the 
least  important  of  these  is  the  general  health  of  the 
animal.  Wherever  land  is  overstocked  and  the 
sheep  deprived  of  their  proper  quantity  of  daily 
food,  scab  is  sure  to  gain  a  foothold.  It  is  a  mis- 
taken economy  to  overcrowd  a  paddock ;  it  occasions 
a  consequent  loss  of  lambs,  degeneration  of  body, 
and  reduced  fleece.  Every  sheep  should  have  its 
due  space  in  which  to  graze,  and  be  at  rest  rumina- 
ting by  10  o'clock  in  the  morning.  In  winter  time  it 
requires  more  food  than  in  summer,  and  unfortunately 
the  practice  is  generally  vice  versa  in  this  country. 

The  wether  which  does  not  give  his  8  lbs. 
of  wool  and  58  lbs.  of  dead  meat  when  a  two- 
shear,  and  the  ewe  which  does  not  give  her  6-|- 
Ibs.  of  wool  and  rear  a  healthy  ofi'spring,  are 
occasioning  a  loss  to  the  owner. 

Flocks  should  also  be  kept  clean  throughout  the 
year,  especially  in  the  autumn  when  the  grasses  have 
a  purgative  effect.  Lambs  should  be  shorn  at  the 
same  time  as  their  mothers,  even  though  their  yield 
does  not  reach  a  pound  of  wool.  Nothing  is  more 
harmful  to  a  flock  than  half  a  dozen  "  summer  lambs  " 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  139 

with  their  untidy  infant  wool  upon  them ;  such 
animals  generally  cany  a  very  hot-bed  of  scab  on 
their  backs. 

Not  unfrequently  a  breeder  pays  attention  to  all 
these  points  and  nevertheless  loses  his  time  and 
money  through  the  carelessness  of  a  neighbour  less 
industrious  than  himself.  When  such  a  case  occurs 
there  is  no  remedy  but  to  construct  a  double  fence. 
The  money  expended  on  this  would  not  be  lost,  for 
between  the  two  fences  trees  can  be  planted  which  in 
ten  or  fifteen  years  would  become  a  mine  of  wealth  to 
their  owner. 

Foot-rot. — Classified  under  this  name  there  are 
two  diseases  different  in  nature  and  character,  but 
with  some  general  resemblance  which  has  occasioned 
the  confusion  of  one  with  the  other.  The  first  of 
these  is  a  non-contagious  disorder  of  the  hoof  caused 
by  injury,  a  wet  or  damp  land  underfoot  and  moist 
climate,  and  is  more  frequently  found  in  the  fine  and 
short-woolled  breeds  than  in  the  lono-- wools.  The 
other  is  a  contagious  disease  not  originated  by  any 
particular  condition  of  soil  or  climate,  though  possibly 
finding  damp  lands  and  moisture  propitious  to  its 
development,  as  well  as  the  weak  hoofs  of  certain 
breeds  of  sheep, — notably  the  merino. 

The  first  of  these  disorders,  viz.  the  non-contagious 
and  occasional  one,  is  of  easy  treatment.  The  hoof  is 
observed  to  break  and  become  covered  with  a  warty 
growth  at  the  extremity ;  or  serrations  and  cracks 
are  found  in  the  upper  part  of  the  external  callous 


I40  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

growth  ;  or  the  outside  edge  of  the  wall  of  the  hoof 
overlaps  and  grows  inward — in  every  occasion 
causing  lameness,  and  consequent  falling  off  in 
condition,  in  the  sheep.  Certain  breeds  suffer  more 
than  others  from  this  disease,  the  structure  of  their 
hoof  being  less  able  to  resist  the  action  of  a  damp 
soil,  a  dirty  yard,  and  similar  causes ;  the  merino 
breeds  appear  to  be  particularly  subject  to  it,  and  the 
black-faced  or  Down  breeds  are  also  martyrs  to  the 
complaint.  The  treatment  is  to  pare  the  diseased 
part  of  the  hoof  away,  having  great  care  not  to 
remove  too  much  or  thin  the  sole  of  the  foot,  a 
mistake  too  often  committed  by  over-zealous  shep- 
herds, who  cut  to  the  quick  in  a  most  unnecessary 
manner.  An  application  of  arsenic  and  water, 
carbolic  acid  and  water,  or  other  corrosive  acid  in 
a  fairly  strong  proportion,  will  suffice  to  cure  the 
injured  hoof  In  breeds  such  as  the  merino,  where 
there  is  a  distinctive  tendency  in  the  hoof  to  grow 
long  and  overlap,  constant  revision  of  the  stock  is 
necessary  to  keep  the  hoofs  in  good  walking  con- 
dition. It  is  advisable  to  explain  to  the  shepherd  that 
a  sheep's  hoof  is  not  a  subject  for  fancy  decorative 
carving,  and  that  all  that  is  aimed  at  is  to  pare  down 
the  overo;rown  ed2:es  and  render  the  sole  of  the 
foot  perfectly  level.  AVith  the  long -wools  this  is 
seldom  necessary,  and  it  is  the  writer's  experience 
that  the  less  their  hoofs  are  cut  and  pared  the  better. 
The  second  or  contag-ious  disease  is  of  a  much 
more    serious    character.       It    can    readily   be    dis- 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  141 

tinguished  from  the  occasional  disorder,  in  its  first 
stage,  for  it  always  appears  in  the  coronary  ball  at 
the  junction  of  the  claw.  From  there  it  grows  down- 
wards, forcing  the  shell  of  the  hoof  to  break  and  fall 
loose,  covering  the  hoof  with  horny  excrescences  and 
fungoid  growth,  distorting  the  claw  and  occasioning 
the  outward  growth  of  some  part  of  it,  and  completely 
disabling  the  sheep  from  walking.  This  disease  can 
only  be  developed  by  contagion,  though  it  is  ex- 
tremely probable  that  a  damp  season  and  wet  land 
will  help  to  increase  its  propagation  more  than  any 
other  climatic  condition ;  and  merino  sheep  will  more 
readily  contract  the  disease  than  any  other  breed. 
The  treatment  of  this  malady  should  be  as  prompt  as 
possible  to  prevent  its  spreading  through  the  entire 
flock.     The  following  measures  are  recommended  : — 

1.  If  perceived  in  time,  immediate  isolation  of 
the  diseased  animals. 

2.  The  treatment  of  these  diseased  animals,  either 
cutting  away  and  cauterising  the  rotten  portion  of  the 
hoof,  or  dressing  the  wound  with  nitric  acid,  butyr  of 
antimony,  or  some  equally  powerful  acid. 

3.  The  general  treatment  of  the  entire  flock  by 
making  the  sheep  walk  through  a  foot  bath  not  less 
than  twenty  feet  in  length,  in  a  preparation  of  either 
carbolic  acid  mixed  at  1  to  50,  or  arsenic  in  the  same 
proportion.  Another  equally  simple  and  practical 
preventive  is  recommended,  viz.  driving  the  sheep 
over  a  dry  floor  covered  with  lime. 

4.  Avoid  as  much  as  possible  allowing  sheep  to 


142  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

depasture  in  the  paddock  where  the  diseased  ones 
have  been  feeding.  Destroy  any  part  of  the  hoof 
removed  from  the  diseased  animal,  and  the  straw 
beddino;  on  which  it  has  Lain  when  beino-  treated. 
Eemove  in  like  manner  every  cause  of  contagion  by 
which  the  disease  may  become  j)i'opagated. 

There  is  little  doubt  that  in  certain  parts  of  the 
country,  notably  in  the  south-east  of  the  Province  of 
Buenos  Aires,  the  dampness  of  the  land  underfoot 
and  more  particularly  the  humidity  of  the  atmo- 
sphere render  the  merino  breeds  of  sheep,  such  as  the 
Negretti,  Rambouillet,  and  others,  an  unprofitable 
stock  for  the  "  estancia/'  by  reason  of  their  weak  and 
easily -injured  hoofs.  They  are  to  be  seen  in  such 
districts  hobbling  painfully  after  one  another  in  search 
of  food,  many  of  them  on  their  knees,  and  wholly 
unable  to  cover  the  daily  area  of  ground  necessary  to 
provide  them  with  a  sufficient  supply  of  nourishment. 
The  consequent  result  is  a  thin  carcase,  a  predis- 
position to  epidemics  of  every  order,  and  a  poor 
fleece.  Such  land  is  not  intended  for  such  stock ; 
and  the  same  animals,  removed  to  the  higher  and 
drier  lands  of  the  interior  and  the  north,  become 
metamorphosed  in  a  year,  growing  a  robust  body 
and  a  healthy  elastic  fleece.  It  is  well,  therefore, 
to  point  out  that  though  foot-rot  proper  is  a  con- 
tagious disease,  and  not  originated  by  damp  land 
or  moist  weather,  it  nevertheless  finds  the  most 
favourable  field  in  land  of  such  a  nature  and  in 
weather  of  this  description ;    and  will    more  readily 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  143 

attack  the  merino  and  sliort-woolled  breeds  of  sheep 
than  the  long-wools. 

Tliroat  -  ivorm,  or  Lung  -  ivorm  [Filaria  bron- 
chitis aut  strongulus). — It  is  to  be  regretted  that  so 
little  is  really  known  of  this  parasite,  whose  invasions 
in  the  south  of  the  Province  of  Buenos  Aires  have 
occasioned  serious  losses  to  the  sheep-breeders,  par- 
ticularly during  the  past  year  of  1892.  Its  true 
nature  and  history  are  still  insufficiently  determined, 
and  a  system  of  treating  it,  when  dealing  with  large 
numbers  of  infected  sheep,  has  not  yet  been  established 
on  a  practical  basis. 

The  most  generally-accepted  opinion  is  that  the 
ovae  of  the  pectoral  worm  retain  their  vitality  in  low 
and  swampy  land  for  many  months  ;  and  that  the 
sheep  whilst  brow^sing  takes  up  some  of  the  eggs, 
which  become  hatched  in  the  mouth.  The  young 
bronchial  worms  develop  there  and  go  through  the 
respiratory  canals  until  they  reach  the  lungs,  where 
they  inhabit  the  cellules,  causing  death.  According 
to  some  authorities  these  same  Filaria  have  been 
found  in  the  alimentary  canals,  without  their  presence 
being  evident  in  either  the  bronchial  tubes  or  in  the 
lungs.  This  would  seem  to  indicate  that  there  is 
some  sympathy  between  the  Filaria  strongulus 
and  the  Taenia  exjpansa,  which  latter  invades  the 
intestines,  causing  what  is  called  parasitic  diarrhoea, 
and  which  is  frec[uently  fatal. 

The  symptoms  of  the  bronchial  or  lung-worm  are 
the  following  : — The  sheep  is  troubled  with  a  constant 


144  THE  SHEEP-BREEDIXG  INDUSTRY 

cough,  which  racks  it,  especially  at  night.  The  mouth 
and  nostrils  are  sometimes  covered  with  a  discoloured 
mucus.  The  animal  lags  behind  the  flock,  eats  little 
but  drinks  frequent!}'.  Thinness  soon  follows,  and 
the  sheep  dies.  At  times  when  the  invasion  of  this 
parasite  assumes  an  epidemic  character,  a  number  of 
the  sheep,  j)articularly  of  the  younger  ones  of  the 
flock,  will  be  observed  to  suffer  from  constant  diarrhoea. 
Here  again  there  is  evidence  of  a  sympathy  betw^een 
the  Filaria  stronguhis  and  the  Taenia  expansa.  But 
there  is  little  doubt  that  when,  owing  to  atmospheric 
circumstances,  inundations,  and  so  forth,  there  occurs 
an  epidemic  such  as  the  invasion  of  the  bronchial 
worm,  and  which  appears  almost  spontaneously  in 
various  districts  of  the  country,  the  chief  cause  of  the 
malady  is  accompanied  by  minor  disorders  due  to  the 
same  unfavourable  condition  of  the  year  which  has 
served  to  develop  the  principal  epidemic.  There  have 
been  cases  known  in  which  an  animal  which  has  died 
from  parasitic  diarrhoea  has  been  found  upon  'post- 
mortem examination  to  have  had  bronchial  worms  in 
both  throat  and  Iuuq-s.  Some  authorities  state  that 
the  eo-o's  of  the  luno-  -  worm  are  hatched  in  the 
alimentary  canal,  and,  following  the  circulation  of  the 
animal  organisation,  reach  the  bronchial  tubes  and 
the  lungs,  where  they  find  the  most  favourable  con- 
ditions for  tlieii"  existence.  Others  suoraest  that  the 
young  worms  enter  the  nostrils  of  the  sheep  when  it 
is  feeding,  and  either  crawl  or  are  inhaled  by  the 
respiration  to  the  lungs,  where  they  develop,  reproduce. 


IX  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  145 

and  infest  these  organs.  The  lung- worm  requires 
humidity,  though  it  can  exist  upwards  of  thirty  days 
in  a  dry  spot  {Ercolani).  The  land  most  favourable 
for  the  Filaria  is  a  clay  soil,  swampy,  marshy,  or  low- 
lying.  It  is,  nevertheless,  found  sometimes  upon  good 
land  and  in  a  dry  season.  In  New  Zealand  it  has 
been  fatal  in  mid-summer  and  with  dry  weather. 

When  one  considers  the  vitality  of  this  parasite, 
its  great  fecundity,  the  nature  of  the  southern  lands 
of  the  Province  of  Buenos  Aires,  and  their  almost 
continuous  state  of  humidity,  it  appears  surprising 
that  the  whole  of  the  sheep  stock  does  not  succumb 
to  the  plague.  But  it  is  probable  that  the  changes 
in  the  vegetation  and  the  geological  action  of  the  soil 
have  a  curative  eflfect  on  the  pastures  ;  and  frequently 
also  the  constitutional  state  of  the  sheep  helps  to 
resist  an  invasion  of  the  parasite  and  prevents  it  from 
assuming  epidemic  proportions.  Then  there  comes 
an  inclement  season,  a  superabundant  vegetation — 
such  as  was  the  case  in  the  s^Dring  of  1891 — folloAved 
by  a  rainy  period  and  partial  inundations,  and  a 
more  or  less  o-eneral  invasion  of  luno;-worm  is  the 
consequence. 

In  submittino-  a  few  su2:2festions  for  the  treatment 
of  this  malady,  I  have  divided  them  under  three  heads: 
The  reduction  of  probabilities;  preventive  measures; 
and  treatment  of  the  disease. 

The  Reduction  of  Prohahilities. — The  first  matter 
for  consideration  is  the  constitution  of  the  sheep.  A 
robust  animal,  well  bred  and  of  a  sound  constitution, 

L 


146  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

will  resist  maladies  to  which  a  more  delicate  animal 
would  succumb.  The  breeder  should  satisfy  himself 
that  his  flocks  are  of  the  class  best  suited  to  the 
quality  of  the  land  they  feed  upon.  The  merino 
breed  fares  badly  on  low -lying  ground,  above  all 
when  the  climate  is  moist ;  it  is  not  then  the  sheep 
to  have  in  localities  subject  to  invasions  of  the  lung- 
worm,  for  its  weak  health  renders  it  a  ready  victim 
for  the  first  epidemic  that  may  occur.  The  same 
may  be  said  of  the  Down  sheep.  There  remain  there- 
fore the  long-wools,  of  wdiich  the  Lincoln,  Leicester, 
and  Romney  Marsh  are  the  best-known  representative 
breeds  in  this  country ;  and  of  all  these  the  Lincoln 
is  the  favourite,  beiusr  found  to  combine  the  o-reatest 
number  of  desirable  qualities.  It  does  not  indeed 
possess  any  magic  virtue  whereby  to  resist  the  lung- 
worm,  but  its  constitution  is  so  well  adapted  to  the 
class  of  land  of  w^hich  we  are  treating,  that  it  is  better 
able  to  resist  the  epidemic.  Many  cases  can  be  cited 
in  which  a  sheep  has  been  known  to  have  suffered 
from  lung-worm,  and  has  nevertheless  been  able  to 
contend  aoainst  the  disease  and  recover.  An  animal 
of  a  weaker  constitution  or  in  poorer  health  would 
have  succumbed.  But  the  selection  of  breeds  and 
the  production  of  special  types  is  the  whole  science 
of  sheep -breeding,  and  there  is  no  need  to  dwell 
longer  upon  this  particular  point  with  reference  to  the 
lung- worm. 

The  following  measures  are  recommended,  though 
they  are  not  always  of  easy  execution  : — (1)  Draining 


IX  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  147 

of  the  land  by  making  small  shallow  ditches,  close  to 
one  another,  in  the  spots  where  the  ovae  of  the  lung- 
worm  are  suspected  to  exist.  (2)  Plough  the  land 
where  the  lung-worm  is  suspected  to  exist,  and  spread 
powdered  rock-salt  in  the  proportion  of  from  500  to 
600  kilogrammes  f)er  hectare.  (3)  Mow  the  grass 
on  the  land  where  the  lung- worm  is  suspected  to 
exist. 

Preventive  Pleasures.  —  If  there  is  reason  for 
anticipating  an  invasion  of  the  Filaria  strongidus,  all 
the  following  measures  will  be  found  useful.  Some 
of  them  are  of  more  difficult  practice  than  others. 

1.  Do  not  allow  the  sheep  to  feed  in  suspicious 
places. 

2.  Do  not  admit  on  the  run  a  flock  which  shows 
symptoms  of  lung-worm.  Do  not  let  any  suspicious 
animal  mix  with  the  healthy  ones. 

3.  Scatter  rock-salt  with  a  liberal  hand.  Place 
here  and  there  small  trouohs  containino-  crushed  rock- 
salt  and  sulphur  mixed.  At  least  once  a  week  add 
a  small  quantity  of  lime  to  the  water  in  the  well 
troughs. 

4.  Separate  all  sickly  animals  from  the  Hocks, 
even  although  they  do  not  show  any  symptoms  of 
lung-worm.  Keep  these  animals  apart,  giving  them 
a  little  hay  or  other  dry  food. 

5.  Enclose  the  flocks  at  night  either  in  the  yards 
or  in  a  small  dry  paddock.  Do  not  let  the  sheep  out 
to  depasture  too  early  in  the  morning. 

The  negative  results  of  many  of  the  above  measures 


148  THE  SHEEP-BREEDIXG  INDUSTRY 

arise  from  their  too  tardy  application.  They  are  not 
recommended  as  curativ^e  of  the  disease,  but  only  as 
preventive.  Unfortunately  it  is  too  frequently  the 
custom  to  disregard  the  warning  signs  of  the  coming 
epidemic  until  it  is  raging  in  full  fury  amongst  the 
sheep;  such  measures  as  the  above  are  then  applied 
too  late. 

Treatment  of  the  Disease. — Even  when  the  sheep 
is  attacked  by  lung-worm  much  can  still  be  done  to 
save  it. 

1.  Keep  the  sick  animal  upon  hay  and  other  dry 
food,  and  give  it  water  containing  1^  oz.  of  common 
salt  mixed  with  6  or  8  ozs.  of  lime-water. 

2.  Administer  a  drench  of  \  oz.  of  turpentine  with 
1  oz.  of  sweet  oil. 

3.  Fumigate  the  sick  animals.  From  thirty  to 
forty  are  enclosed  in  a  shed  with  all  the  doors  and 
windows  shut.  From  the  roof-joists  there  is  suspended 
a  pot  filled  with  fire-wood  or  other  fuel,  to  which  is 
added  a  quantity  of  sulphur  and  tar.  The  animals 
are  kept  inhaling  the  fumes  of  this  mixture  for  from 
twenty  to  twenty-five  minutes.  This  operation  may 
be  repeated  two  or  three  times. 

4.  A  Xew  Zealand  breeder  of  considerable  experi- 
ence recommends  the  followins; : — In  cases  where  a 
whole  flock  is  sufi'ering  from  lung- worm,  enclose  the 
sheep  in  a  yard  for  a  sufficient  period  to  render  them 
all  thirsty — twenty-four  hours  or  so.  Arrange  outside 
the  yard  a  number  of  water-troughs  well  filled  with 
lime  mixed  with  water.     Release  the  sheep  and  see 


IX  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  149 

that  they  are  led  to  the  troughs.  The  most  infected 
by  lung-worm  are  those  which  will  drink  with  the 
greatest  avidity.  This  cure  has  been  tried  successfully 
in  Xew  Zealand.  It  is,  however,  easier  of  execution 
in  the  summer  time  than  at  any  other  season. 

FluJce  or  Liver-worm  [Distoma  liepdtico) ;  Sp. 
Saguaipe. — This  deadly  parasite,  the  occasion  of  the 
disease  known  as  the  rot  in  England,  is  more  fatal  in 
its  ravages,  as  it  is  more  limited  in  its  sphere  of  action, 
than  the  lung-worm.  It  is  fortunately  unfrequent  in 
the  Argentine,  and  is  only  to  be  found  where  there 
are  stagnant  pools  of  water  exposed  to  the  sun. 

In  appearance  it  resembles  a  sole,  or  leaf,  varying 
from  one-half  to  an  inch  in  length,  and  one-quarter 
to  a  half  in  breadth.  It  attacks  the  liver,  causing  at 
first  an  apparent  improvement  in  the  health  and  con- 
dition of  the  sheep,  which  is  soon  followed  by  a 
wasting  away  and  death.  The  most  rapid  way  by 
wdiich  its  presence  can  be  detected  is  in  the  colour  of 
the  membranes  of  the  eye,  which  become  pale  and 
white.  The  animal  exhibits  an  indisposition  to  eat, 
and  is  attacked  by  an  incessant  thirst.  If  there  be 
any  reason  to  suspect  the  existence  of  fluke  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  a  flock,  any  sheep  showing  the 
symptoms  of  the  disease  should  be  at  once  destroyed 
and  carefully  examined.  In  cases  of  infection  the 
liver  will  be  found  to  be  pale,  and  peopled  in  a  more 
or  less  degree  w^ith  the  parasite. 

The  history  of  the  propagation  of  the  fluke  is 
interesting   and   worthy  of    special  mention.      The 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


embryo  of  the  Distoma  liepaticum  bores  its  way  into 
a  water-snail,  where  it  becomes  converted  into  a 
peculiar  organism  termed  cercaria-sac.  Here  an- 
other develojDment  takes  place  in  the  shape  of  a  brood 
of  young  cercariae  formed  within  the  sac,  each  of 
which  becomes  a  parent.  The  offspring  of  these, 
either  in  the  first  or  second  generation,  returns  to 
the  form  of  the  original  progenitor,  the  distoma. 
This  curious  metamorphosis,  by  which  the  first  para- 
site is  not  reproduced  in  its  ofi'spring  until  the  third 
generation,  has  been  termed  by  Steenstrup,  "  alterna- 
tion of  generation."  Mr.  W.  C.  Spooner,  from  whose 
work  on  the  structure  of  the  sheep  this  description 
of  the  propagation  of  distomata  has  been  abbrevi- 
ated, says: — "Most  cercaria-sacs  are  of  simple 
organisation,  but  they  are  found  of  various  forms, 
according  to  the  kind  of  cercariae  developed. 

"  When  first  set  free  from  the  sac,  the  cercaria  is 
rather  tardy  in  its  action,  but  after  a  time  it  swims 
freely  about,  assisted  in  its  various  movements  by  the 
length  of  its  tail.  In  the  most  perfected  cercariae  no 
sexual  organs  can  be  detected,  although  in  other 
respects  their  resemblance  to  distomata  is  so  com- 
plete. 

"  It  is  evident  from  this  that  they  have  to  undergo 
a  higher  form  of  development,  which  they  can  only 
obtain  by  becoming  entozoic  to  other  creatures. 
Some  varieties  of  them  have  been  observed  to  bore 
their  way  into  water-snails,  to  cast  off"  their  tails,  and 
develop  into  flukes,  thus  forming  the  series  of  changes. 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


After  entering  the  body  of  the  snail,  and  before  being 
transformed  into  the  fluke,  the  cercaria  rolls  itself 
into  a  little  ball  and  passes  into  the  pupa  state,  by 
emitting  from  the  surface  of  its  body  a  mucous 
secretion  which  encloses  it. 

"  Encysted  cercariae,  besides  adhering  in  large 
numbers  to  a  great  variety  of  mollusca,  the  larvae  of 
aquatic  insects,  etc.,  are  likewise  found  free  in  water. 
How  long  their  pupa  state  may  continue  is  not 
known ;  but,  according  to  the  experience  of  Steen- 
strup,  in  some  varieties  of  cercaria  it  does  so  for 
many  months." 

The  distomata  are  peculiarly  offensive  to  rumi- 
nants, wdiere  they  are  not  immediately  exposed  to  the 
action  of  the  gastric  juice,  but  remain  for  some  length 
of  time  in  the  rumen  and  other  prej^aratory  stomachs 
whose  secretion  is  non-digestive. 

Once  a  sheep  is  attacked  by  distoma  the  cure  is 
problematical,  if  not  entirely  impossible.  To  remove 
the  flock  to  a  salt  marsh  would  perhaps  save  a  por- 
tion of  its  number ;  and  in  a  similar  way  an  ample 
supply  of  salt  will  serve  to  some  extent  as  a  pre- 
ventive. But  the  soundest  advice  that  can  be  given 
to  breeders  in  the  Aro;entine  who  have  the  mis- 
fortune  to  find  this  parasite  invading  their  flocks,  is 
the  foUowino; : — 

1.  Sell  immediately  to  the  butcher  every  animal 
which  shows  the  slightest  symjDtoms  of  being  at- 
tacked by  the  distoma,  taking  advantage  of  the 
temporary   improvement    in    the    condition    of    the 


152  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

animal  which  always  follows  the  first  invasion  of  the 
parasite. 

2.  Eemove  the  flock  without  loss  of  time  from 
the  land  where  the  parasite  has  made  its  appearance, 
and  continue  weeding  out  the  infected  animals  if  any 
remain. 

3.  Find  out  if  possible  the  source  and  origin  of 
the  invasion,  and  stamp  it  out.  If  stagnant  water 
exists,  drain  it  ofi"  or  keep  the  stock  away  from  it. 

4.  As  in  the  case  of  the  lung-w^orm,  have  a  plen- 
tiful supply  of  rock-salt  everywhere. 

Of  other  diseases. — Lest  this  chapter  should  swell 
out  into  a  work  upon  the  diseases  of  the  sheep,  and 
so  exceed  the  original  intention  with  which  it  was 
written,  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  numerous  useful 
works  already  written  upon  the  pathology  of  the 
sheep,  and  which  are  to  be  obtained  through  any 
bookseller.  But  before  leaving  the  subject  of  epi- 
demics and  diseases  in  sheep,  with  special  regard  to 
the  pastoral  industry  in  the  Argentine,  it  would  be 
well  to  ao;ain  brino^  to  the  mind  of  the  reader  the 
three  points  upon  which  the  well-being  of  his  flocks, 
and  consequent  satisfactory  return  from  them,  most 
depend.  1st.  That  the  stock  he  breeds  should  be 
that  best  suited,  by  reason  of  its  class  and  tradition,  to 
the  land  which  carries  it.  2nd.  That  the  stock  should 
at  all  times  have  sufiicient  pasture  to  graze  upon — a 
matter  already  alluded  to  at  some  length  elsewhere. 
And  3rcZ.  To  observe  a  careful  selection  of  tups,  and 
have  an  eye  to  the  physical  and  constitutional  quali- 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  153 

ties  of  the  sheep.  A  breeder  should  always  inform 
himself  of  the  history  of  the  stud  farm  where  he 
buys  his  tups,  and  satisfy  himself  that  they  bring 
with  them  no  hereditary  defects  or  predisposition  to 
contract  maladies  of  an  epidemic  character.  No 
matter  what  the  breed  be,  there  is  a  certain  standard 
of  physical  condition  necessary  to  all  animals,  Eibs 
springing  well  from  the  back,  and  rounded,  to  give 
ample  room  for  the  respiratory  and  blood-making 
organs  ;  a  full  and  deep  chest ;  a  well-placed  neck, 
and  a  clear  and  full  eye.  Acting  upon  this  same 
principle  of  physical  selection,  the  breeder  must  ever 
continue  to  weed  out  from  his  flocks  the  ewes  which, 
from  their  bad  build,  threaten  to  reproduce  a  weak 
offspring ;  and  by  thus  establishing  a  healthy  consti- 
tutional type,  his  stock  will  be  the  better  able  to 
resist  the  attacks  of  epidemic  maladies,  and  be  less 
exposed  to  contract  lung  or  other  organic  disease. 
The  ravages  of  all  the  more  deadly  epidemics  are 
greatest  when  the  stock  is  of  a  poor  type  and  physi- 
cally unable  to  make  a  stand  against  the  enemy. 

Poisonous  Weeds. — The  pastoral  districts  of  the 
Argentine  are  fortunately  very  free  of  weeds  of  a 
poisonous  character,  though  there  exist  one  or  two, 
peculiar  to  certain  districts,  the  effects  of  which  may 
be  avoided  with  a  little  common  care.  Most  con- 
spicuous amongst  these  is  the 

Romerillo  Plant  (Baccharis  cordifoUa),  vulg.  Sp. 
Mio-mio. — This  is  found  in  considerable  abundance 
in  certain  pastures.    In  appearance  it  is  not  unlike 


154  THE  SHEEP-BREEDIXG  INDUSTRY 

the  young  shoot  from  the  seed  of  the  pine  tree  when 
about  two  months  old,  and  grows  in  small  bush-like 
clusters,  attaining  a  height  of  from  nine  inches  to  a  foot, 
the  foliage  of  a  dark  green  colour,  and  surmounted 
with  a  feathery  flower  of  a  whitish-yellow  hue.  It 
grows  intermixed  with  the  common  grasses  of  the 
pasture  land,  but  can  easily  be  detected.  If  eaten  in 
any  quantity  by  stock,  death  ensues  in  from  twelve 
to  twenty-four  hours,  the  animal's  mouth  and  nostrils 
becoming  covered  with  foam,  and  the  action  of  the 
weed  occasioning  apparent  great  pain. 

Stock  born  and  bred  upon  land  where  this  weed 
grows  will  avoid  it,  and  there  is  never  any  loss  except 
in  an  occasional  lamb  which  has  been  weaned  at  the 
time  the  young  romerillo  has  commenced  to  spring 
up.  But  stock  brought  from  land  where  the  plant  is 
unknown,  to  a  district  where  it  flourishes,  will  as- 
suredly eat  the  poison  and  die  in  considerable  num- 
bers if  precautions  are  not  taken  to  j)revent  it. 
More  particularly  fatal  is  the  poison  to  stock  travel- 
ling from  one  place  to  another,  when  they  are  hungry 
and  less  fastidious  about  the  grasses  they  eat.  For- 
tunately there  is  a  method  by  which  the  stock  can  in 
a  great  degree  be  prevented  from  touching  this  weed, 
viz.  Ijy  making  the  sheep  breathe  for  some  time  the 
smoke  of  the  burning  plant,  and  so  creating  in  them 
a  nausea  for  it.  The  practical  experience  of  the 
writer  can  make  him  vouch  for  this  fact,  though  the 
efticacy  of  the  treatment  has  been  frequently  ques- 
tioned by  breeders,  who  have  looked  upon  it  as  a 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


gaucho's  remedy— the  faith  cure  of  the  ignorant 
peasant.  Stock  which  is  being  removed  from  a  dis- 
trict where  romerillo  is  unknown  to  one  where  that 
weed  flourishes,  shoukl  be  fumigated  immediately 
upon  entering  the  romerillo  country.  The  best  time 
for  doing  this  is  in  the  early  morning,  when  the  sheep 
have  ruminated  and  digested  their  previous  day's 
food.  They  should  be  mobbed  together,  and  a  series 
of  heaps  of  the  green  newly-cut  weed  should  be 
piled  to  the  windward  of  them.  Care  should  be 
taken  that  a  suthcient  quantity  has  been  cut,  for  the 
smoking  process  lasts  fully  an  hour  in  the  open  air. 
The  piles  are  ignited  and  give  forth  a  dense  and  pun- 
gent smoke,  the  characteristic  smell  of  the  plant  being- 
very  powerful.  The  sheep  must  be  rounded  up  and 
kept  face  to  face  with  the  cloud  of  smoke  issuing 
from  the  line  of  fire.  In  twenty  minutes  they  will 
all  commence  to  couoii  and  sneeze,  but  it  is  well  to 
give  them  a  thorough  dose.  In  an  hour's  time,  with 
a  fair  wind  blowing,  it  is  probable  that  every  sheep 
will  have  made  an  intimate  acquaintance  with  the 
smell  of  the  plant,  and  will  take  care  to  avoid  it  when 
grazing.  So  peculiar  is  the  odour  of  this  poison  that, 
once  smelt,  it  will  remain  for  ever  in  the  memory. 
This  fumigation,  however  much  it  may  be  derided 
by  inexperienced  breeders,  is  of  unquestionable  bene- 
fit. It  has  been  the  writer's  experience  to  remit  over 
ten  troops  of  sheep,  varying  in  number  from  150  to 
8000  head,  from  land  where  the  romerillo  does  not 
exist  to  land  where  it  does,  and  the  fumigation  when 


156  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

properly  carried  out  has  always  been  efficacious. 
Upon  one  occasion,  13,000  valuable  sheep  were  re- 
mitted to  a  district  where  romerillo  abounds  in  o-reat 

o 

quantities,  from  land  where  the  plant  is  wholly  un- 
known. These  sheep  were  fumigated,  and  the  mor- 
tality from  eating  romerillo  did  not  exceed  3  per 
cent.  Upon  another  occasion  2000  were  remitted 
from  the  same  sheep-run  to  the  same  locality,  and 
were  not  fumigated  :  800  deaths  ensued,  being  40  per 
cent.  It  is  indeed  only  from  the  conviction  en- 
gendered by  experience  that  the  writer  has  made 
this  lengthy  allusion  to  the  "smoke"  treatment. 

Romerillo  when  cut  up  and  macerated,  makes  an 
excellent  blister,  and  is  greatly  employed  for  this 
purpose  by  gaucho  horse-doctors.  Used  with  discretion 
it  serves  as  a  diuretic,  and  its  medicinal  properties 
will  some  day  render  it  a  useful  simple  in  the  hands 
of  the  intellio-ent  breeders. 

Nieremhergia  hippomanica,  or  Jilicautis ;  vulg. 
Sp.  chuchu. — This  weed  belongs  to  the  Solanea 
family,  and  is  much  more  fatal  in  its  effects  than  the 
romerillo.  It  is  a  small  modest  plant  with  spread- 
ins;  leaves  of  a  li^ht  g-reen  colour  above,  and  whitish- 
green  colour  Ijelow,  and  bears  a  white  star-like  flower. 
Death  invariably  follows  the  eating  of  this  poisonous 
plant.  Fortunately  it  is  very  scarce,  and  is  only  to 
be  found  in  certain  poorly  pastured  and  hilly  parts  of 
the  country.  In  remitting  droves  of  stock,  the  best 
plan  is  to  hasten  them  over  the  land  where  the 
chuchu  is  known  to  exist,  without  giving  the  animals 


IX  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  157 

time  to  graze  upon  the  spot.  The  word  chuck  a,  which 
is  descriptive  of  ague,  has  been  applied  to  this  phmt 
in  imitation  of  the  effect  it  produces  upon  its 
victims. 

Cestrusa  Fccrqui  (vulg.  Sp.  Duraznillo  negro), 
and  Solanum  elaegnifolium  (vulg.  Sp.  Revientct 
caballo),  and  other  plants  of  the  same  family 
occasionally  do  damage  in  stock.  They  are  only  to 
be  found  in  the  sandy  and  woody  vicinity  of  the 
coast-line  of  the  Eiver  Plate,  and  where  the  hizcachcc 
or  prairie  dog  has  upturned  the  soil.  They  are  not 
necessarily  fatal  in  their  effects,  and  where  death  has 
been  observed  to  ensue  from  eating  them,  it  is  a  safe 
plan  to  retain  the  flock  in  the  yards  until  the 
moisture  is  well  off  the  ground  before  allowing  it  to 
run  afield  and  depasture^ — for  these  plants  are  only 
fatal  after  a  fall  of  rain  overnight,  or  when  eaten 
before  the  sheep  have  been  watered.  They  are 
scarcely  deserving  of  notice  in  this  chapter,  so  limited 
is  the  harm  they  do.  And  it  may  be  said  of  all  the 
Provinces  of  the  River  Plate,  that  they  are  as  poor 
in  obnoxious  weeds  as  they  are  rich  in  all  kinds  of 
nutritious  sjrasses. 


CHAPTER  YI 

EXIT    FOR     SURPLUS     STOCK    AXD     FOR     PRODUCE  —  THE 

MEAT -FREEZING    TRADE LOCAL   WOOL    AND    OTHER 

PRODUCE    MARKETS MEANS    OF    REMISSION  :    RAIL- 
WAYS    AND     ROADS CANALISATION    AND     SURFACE 

DRAINING 

To  the  producer  in  all  parts  of  tlie  globe,  the  question 
of  how  to  dispose  of  the  fruits  of  his  labour  is  one  of 
first  importance.  That  country  is  most  felicitous  in 
commerce  which  can  combine  a  maximum  facility 
in  producing  necessary  supply  with  a  facile  and 
economical  communication  with  the  centres  of 
demand.  In  this  respect  the  Argentine  Republic 
stands  pre-eminent;  and  whilst  on  the  one  hand 
its  fertile  properties  guarantee  a  most  plentiful  and 
secure  harvest  of  raw  material,  so  on  the  other  its 
geographical  position  and  physical  contour  place  it 
closely  in  touch  with  the  consuming  world.  In  a 
preceding  chapter  it  has  been  shown  at  what  cheap 
rates  mutton  and  wool  can  be  grown  ;  it  remains  for 
this  chapter  to  prove  how  the  producer  can  find  a 
market  for  his  wares. 

The  Meat-freezing  Trade. — In  the  whole  annals  of 


1    WW 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDIXG   INDUSTRY  159 

the  liistory  of  sheep  in  the  great  pastoral  colonies  of 
the  world,  no  innovation  has  so  completely  revolu- 
tionised and  furthered    the  interests   of   the   sheep- 
breeding     industry    as      the    introduction     of     the 
freezing    of   mutton    for    remission  to    Europe,  and 
sale    there.     Looking    back   upon    the    days   before 
this  exit  for  the   sale   of  surplus   bleaters  was  dis- 
covered, it  seems  impossible  that  the  breeder  of  sheep 
could   have  looked  forward  to  the  multiplication  of 
his   flocks   with   anything    but    the    gloomiest   fore- 
bodings for  his  future  prospects.     By  1882  a  fall  in 
the  price  of  tallow  had  become  gravely  accentuated, 
and  the  value  of  sheep-skins  had  also  taken  a  down- 
w^ard  road.      Local  consumption  answered  for  but  a 
small  fraction  of  the  annual  increase,  and  although 
there  still  remained — as  there  remains  to-day — great 
virgin  tracts  ready  to  be   turned  into  pasture  land, 
the   breeder  had   but  a  poor  prospect  of  making  a 
suflicient     income    to    enable     him    to    enlarge    his 
territorial  possessions.     Just  as  in  1843  the  industry 
of  boiling    down  sheep    for  their   tallow  and  skins 
solved  a  difficult  economical  problem,  and  sent  up 
the  value  of  sheep,  so  in    1883  when  produce   had 
already  fallen  greatly,  and  the  horizon  of  the  breeder 
was  at  its  gloomiest,  the  freezing  trade  supplied  the 
w^ant,    and  found    a    market    for   the    comparatively 
valueless  wethers.     Sheep   until  then  were  bred  for 
little   else  than  the  value  of  their  wool ;    now,  the 
ciuestion    of     mutton    has     made    the    breeder     as 
scrupulous  about  the  fattening  and   early  maturing 


i6o  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

qualities  of  his  stock  as  he  is  about  the  length   and 
fineness  of  the  staple  of  the  fleece. 

By  1883  Messrs.  Drabble  Brothers  in  Campana, 
and  Messrs.  S.  G.  Sansinena  and  Company  of  Barracas 
had  completed  their  buildings,  laid  in  their  machinery, 
and  started  to  freeze  mutton  for  shipment  to  Europe. 
In  that  year  the  number  of  carcases  sent  home  to  the 
Old  World,  principally  to  England,  barely  passed 
17,000.  The  writer  visited  the  establishment  of 
Messrs.  Drabble  that  year,  and  can  well  remember 
the  imposing  and  novel  sight  the  freezing -rooms 
offered,  with  their  long  rows  of  sheep's  carcases, 
swathed  in  spotlessly  clean  linen  as  in  their  winding 
sheets,  and  disappearing  in  the  dim  perspective  of 
the  snow-covered  chamber.  Since  that  date  the  trade 
has  assumed  titanic  proportions,  and  one  single 
freezing  company  exports  more  in  a  fortnight  than 
did  the  whole  trade  during:  the  twelve  months  of  that 
year.  Improvements  have  brought  the  business  to 
such  a  nice  perfection  to-day,  that  the  frozen  carcases 
have  an  appearance  of  cleanliness  and  wholesomeness 
for  which  one  might  search  in  vain  through  all  the 
butchers'  shops  in  Buenos  Aires.  There  now  exist 
no  less  than  five  immense  establishments  in  the 
Ai-gentine  Republic  for  the  freezing  of  mutton, 
capable  of  exporting  up  to  3,000,000  carcases  per 
annum.     These  are  : — 

The  Sansinena  Company. 

Nelson's  New  Eiver  Plate  Meat  Company. 

The  River  Plate  Fresh  Meat  Company. 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  i6i 

The  Highland  Scot  Canning  Company. 
Messrs.  John  O'Connor  and  Company. 

In  1891  the  number  of  carcases  exported  from 
the  Ai'gentine  reached  1,200,000,  this  number  being 
more  than  one-third  of  the  total  number  of  carcases 
frozen  annually  in  the  world,  and  representing  6  per 
cent  of  the  total  annual  consumption  of  the  United 
Kingdom  of  Britain.  In  1892  the  following  was  the 
exportation  of  frozen  mutton  : — 

Sansinena.              .....  408,688 

Nelson's  New  Eiver  Plate  Meat  Company,  Limited  .  450,444 

The  River  Plate  Fresh  Meat  Company,  Limited       .  345,190 

Messrs.  O'Connor  and  Company      .              .              .  90,022 


1,294,344 


These  figures,  which  probably  in  another  decade  will 
read  as  nought,  are  already  sufficiently  imposing  to 
justify  the  Argentine  breeder  in  entertaining  the  most 
sanguine  expectations  as  to  the  future. 

The  Republic  has  in  its  favour  several  advantages 
to  place  it  in  the  van  of  the  mutton-exporting  trade. 
The  first  of  these  is  the  proximity  it  has  to  the 
European  market,  an  advantage  which  should  always 
serve  it  in  good  stead  in  competing  with  Australasia. 
Secondly,  it  has  the  special  conditions  of  soil  and 
climate  for  the  production  of  mutton.  Thirdly,  the 
vast  area  of  sheep  country  which  it  possesses  and 
the  exceeding  facilities  afibrded  to  the  breeder  who 
can  grow  mutton    at    a    cheaper  rate    than    in    any 

M 


i62  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

other  pastoral  country,  and  yet  sell  it  at  prices 
remunerative  to  himself.  The  country  has  therefore 
some  claim  to  consider  herself  the  future  meat  pro- 
ducer for  over-crowded  Europe. 

Argentine    mutton   is    steadily   obtaining   favour 
A^dth  the  home    buyer,   and  the   following   extracts, 
taken    from    a   most    interesting    price    table    and 
review   prepared   by   Messrs.   W.   Weddel   and   Co., 
will  serve  to   show  the  present  state  of  the  trade. 
We  find  that  during  the  by-past  six  years,  Argentine 
mutton  has  fallen  from  4-^d.  in   1886  down  to  3jd. 
in   1891,  a  fall  of  Id.  per  lb.     Prime  New  Zealand 
mutton  has   fallen  |d.   per  lb.   in  the  same  period, 
viz.    from    5d.    to    4jd.        On    the    other    hand   the 
importation    of    carcases    has    been    nearly    trebled 
during  this    time,  viz.   from    1,187,547  in    1886   to 
3,323,821    in    1891.     The   number   of   carcases   im- 
ported into  the  United  Kingdom  from  the  Argentine, 
which   in   1883   barely  passed    17,000,  has  now  as- 
cended to  1,073,525   in  1891.     In  addition  to  this 
there  are  over  100,000  carcases  exported  to  France 
from   the   Kiver   Plate.      Messrs.    Weddel    and    Co. 
make  the  following  important  remarks  with  respect 
to    the    quality    of    frozen   mutton : — "  For    several 
months   past,    the    quotation   for    best    River   Plate 
mutton   has  exceeded   by  ^d.   per  lb.   the   price   of 
New  Zealand  merino  mutton.     This  overlapping  of 
values  leads  to  great  confusion  in  the  mind  of  con- 
sumers, who  are  now  often  unable  to  decide  whether 
New  Zealand  or  River  Plate  mutton  is  the   better 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  163 

class  of  meat.  There  has  been  a  distinct  improve- 
ment in  the  character  of  the  sheep  imported  from 
the  River  Plate  during  the  year  1891,  as  compared 
with  the  two  preceding  years.  This  was  only  what 
was  expected  in  a  favourable  season,  the  steps  taken 
prior  to  1889  with  a  view  to  improving  the  breed 
of  many  of  the  largest  flocks  in  the  country  having 
naturally  resulted  in  an  all-round  advance  in  respect 
of  average  weight  per  carcase  and  quality  of  mutton." 
They  go  on  to  say  in  conclusion  : — "  Frozen  mutton 
importations  now  represent  from  15  to  20  per  cent 
of  the  total  consumption  of  mutton  in  the  United 
Kingdom.  Having  regard  to  the  prejudice  with 
which  frozen  mutton  was  viewed  when  first  intro- 
duced into  this  country,  the  rapid  development  of 
the  trade  to  its  present  important  dimensions  is 
worthy  of  being  specially  noted  alike  by  producers 
in  Australasia  and  South  America,  and  by  British 
farmers  and  consumers." 

The  reason  why  Argentine  mutton  averages  an 
inferior  price  to  that  of  New  Zealand  has  a  three- 
fold explanation.  In  the  first  place,  New  Zealand 
possesses  to-day  a  mutton-producing  breed  superior 
to  that  grown  in  the  Plate.  In  the  second,  the 
New  Zealander  feeds  his  stock  during  the  winter 
time  with  extra  forage,  whilst  in  the  Argentine  the 
sheep  are  allowed  to  graze  upon  the  same  bare 
pampa  during  the  dead  season.  The  result  of  this 
is  that  the  New  Zealander  produces  an  even  well- 
grown  carcase,  whilst   there  is  sent  home    from  the 


i64  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

Plate   one  upon  wliich  a  hasty  covering  of  fat  has 
been   put    during   the    spring   months   of  the    year. 
The  difference  between  the  two  carcases  will  readily 
be  noted  by  any  one  who  cares  to  pay   a  visit  to 
Smithfield.     Thirdly,    the    freezer   in    New    Zealand 
freezes  the  mutton  on  account  of  the  breeder,  and 
in  the  Argentine  the  freezer  buys  from  the  breeder. 
The   disadvantage    of  the  latter  system,  so  long  as 
the  breeder  has  no  knowledge  of  the  requirements 
of    the    market,    is   apparent.       The    New   Zealand 
breeder  selects  his  wethers  with  care,  rejecting  any 
which    will   give   an   inferior  weight,    or  which   are 
insufficiently  fattened   for  the  butcher.      He  remits 
them  in  small  droves  to  the  freezing  establishments, 
and  takes  every  care  that  they  shall  arrive  in  perfect 
order.     The  Argentine  breeder,  on  the    other  hand, 
makes   a    contract   with    the    representative    of    the 
freezer  to  sell  a  given  number,  and  the  latter  binds 
himself    to    remove    them    within    a    certain    date. 
The  breeder  endeavours  to  sell  the  greatest  number 
possible,    and   it   is    easily   comprehended    that    the 
buyer  who  selects  from  a   farm  carrying   anything 
between       10,000      and      100,000     must     perforce 
remove   many    wethers   utterly    unfit   for   the    meat 
market.        The     freezer     has     probably     extensive 
paddocks,    but    he     cannot     fatten    up     the    great 
quantity  of  store  stock  which  arrives  together  with 
the  fat  wethers ;  they  must  alike  go  to  the  butcher's 
knife,   and    so  the    Argentine    mutton  which    comes 
to    the    European  consumer  is    of    inferior    quality 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  165 

and    more    uneven    than  that    exported    from  New 
Zealand. 

Nevertheless  the  conversion  of  the  freezer  into 
a  mere  commission-agent  is  not  the  most  felicitous 
solution  of  the  frozen-mutton  question.  There  must 
exist  some  intelligent  observation  of  the  market  to 
determine  when  to  remit  supply  and  when  to  with- 
hold it.  The  breeder  is  not  in  a  position  to  do  this, 
and  the  individual  effect  of  his  own  produce  would 
not  materially  influence  the  price  list  either  way. 
The  freezer  should  assuredly  be  an  interested  party. 
The  best  system,  therefore,  and  one  already  in  some 
use  in  the  Argentine,  is  to  establish  a  scale  of  prices 
proportionate  to  the  dead-weight  return  of  the  sheep 
sent  in  by  the  breeder.  This  would  alike  stimulate 
the  sheep -raiser  to  turn  out  wethers  of  an  even 
weight  and  quality,  and  secure  to  the  freezer 
remunerative  prices  in  the  home  market.  It  rests 
with  the  breeder  to  study  the  matter  more  closely, 
and  have  a  care  that  no  wether  shall  leave  his  run 
which  does  not  reach  the  necessary  weight  and  is 
not  in  the  condition  to  fit  it  for  the  butcher's  knife. 
In  a  previous  chapter  I  have  pointed  out  how  the 
breeder  should  commence  an  inspection  of  his  flocks 
immediately  after  shearing,  and  from  time  to  time 
select'-  those  wethers  he  finds  in  sufiiciently  good 
order  to  remit  to  the  freezer.  He  can  go  further. 
He  can  have  a  special  paddock  for  the  fattening 
of  his  wethers,  and  draft  them  from  thence  to  the 
market.       And  he  will  find  that  in  every  step   he 


i66  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

takes  towards  improving  the  present  stupid  method 
of  selling,  he  will  be  gladly  met  half-way  by  the 
freezer. 

The  mutton  -  freezing  process  is  one  of  great 
interest,  and  a  visit  to  any  of  the  principal  establish- 
ments cannot  fail  to  impress  the  visitor  with  the 
skilful  organisation  and  care  of  detail  to  be  noted 
in  every  department,  from  the  killing  yards  to  the 
shipment  of  carcases  for  Europe.  Messrs.  Sansinena's 
great  killing  place  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city  of 
Buenos  Aires,  and  conveniently  situated  on  the 
banks  of  the  Eiacho,  a  navigable  river  connected 
with  the  port  and  harbour  of  the  city,  has  pro- 
vided one  or  two  illustrations  for  this  chapter. 

The  sheep  are  introduced  from  the  sale  and  re- 
ceiving yards  to  large  pens  under  roof.  Here  are 
slaughtered  those  destined  for  the  local  market,  the 
number  daily  disposed  of  in  this  manner  amounting 
to  about  400.  Those  selected  for  the  frozen  trade, 
which  are  generally  superior  to  those  for  local  con- 
sumption, are  driven  up  to  the  far  end  of  the  yard, 
where  the  preparations  for  slaughtering  are  more 
elaborate.  The  floor  is  of  concrete,  and  water  is 
constantly  being  played  over  it.  The  sheep,  whose 
death  is  instantaneously  occasioned  by  the  skilled 
thrust  of  the  butcher's  knife,  is  laid  on  a  trestle,  or 
board -covered  wheelbarrow.  Here  the  skin  is 
partially  removed,  viz.  at  the  legs  and  around  the 
head.  The  body  is  then  suspended  on  hooks  and 
the    skin    entirely   removed    by   another   man,   who 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  167 

also  disembowels  the  carcase,  takes  off  the  head 
and  trotters,  and  ties  the  forearms  up  with  twine 
to  give  the  body  that  neat  trussed-up  appearance  so 
necessary  for  the  home  markets.  Up  to  1700  can 
be  slaughtered  for  the  freezing  trade  per  diem, 
making  with  those  destined  for  local  consumption, 
a  turn-over  of  2100  in  all. 

To  follow  the  carcase  first.  It  is  conveyed  to  the 
scales  and  weighed,  being  sorted  according  to  its 
weight.  It  is  then  hung  up  in  a  cooling -room  in 
order  to  be  chilled,  and  left  there  until  five  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon.  From  thence  it  is  hoisted  by  means 
of  an  ingenious  elevator  to  the  freezing- chambers, 
where,  robed  in  its  clean  linen  cloth,  it  hangs  for  a 
period  of  not  less  than  forty -eight  hours  in  the  dark 
frost -covered  vaults.  Before  it  is  placed  in  the 
freezing-chamber  it  is  weighed  again ;  and  still  once 
more  before  shipment,  making  three  different  weigh- 
ings in  all.  The  capacity  of  the  freezing- chambers 
amounts  to  60,000  carcases  at  one  time. 

The  freezing  is  done  by  an  eighty  (nominal) 
horse -powder  machine,  the  system  being  that  of 
ammonia.  Another  engine  of  the  same  capacity  is 
at  present  being  introduced. 

The  bowels  and  blood  are  run  through  drains, 
and  by  means  of  siphons  the  blood  is  run  off  and 
wasted.  This  is  at  present  the  only  part  of  the 
animal  which  is  not  utilised  by  the  company ;  but 
experiments  are  being  made  at  the  present  time  to 
find  employment  for  this  matter. 


i68  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

The  intestines  have  all  particles  of  grease  removed 
from  them,  and  are  cleaned  and  sold  to  make  sausage 
skins  and  guitar  strings.  The  head,  odd  scraps  of 
fat,  paunch,  and  general  ofial  are  boiled  down  and 
refined,  and  the  tallow  is  sold  for  exportation.  The 
kidneys  and  tongues  are  sent  home  in  a  frozen  state. 

The  kidney  fat  and  fat  robing  of  the  entrails  is 
put  through  an  ingenious  and  remunerative  process. 
AVhile  still  hot,  it  is  placed  in  large  iron  tanks,  where 
a  constant  play  of  water  soon  renders  it  stiff.     It  is 
then  broken  up  by  machinery,  rendered  down  and 
refined,  until  at  last  it  comes  out  a  fine  yellow  mass 
not  unlike  a  puree  of  potatoes,  and  as  pure  and  sweet 
as  butter.     It  is  removed  to  a  warm  room,  placed  in 
clean  napkins,  and  subjected  to  hydraulic  pressure. 
As  grease  becomes  liquid  at  a  temperature  of  35°  C, 
and  tallow  remains  solid  up  to  a  temperature  of  52° 
G.,  the  temperature  of  the  press-room  is  kept  at  40° 
C.     The  result  of  this  is  that  the  grease  runs  ofi"  the 
press  in  a  liquid  state,  and  the  tallow  remains  still 
solid  in  the  linen  napkins.     The  grease,  which  has  by 
this  process  been  brought  to  an  extreme  of  refinement, 
is  put  up  in  tins  and  sold  for  cooking  purposes.     It  is 
termed  "  Oleo  Palmatina,"  and  the  demand  for  it  is 
greatly  in  excess  of  the  supply.     The  tallow,  which 
is  of  a  superior  quality  to  that  obtained  from   the 
head  and    ofi*al,   is    sold   apart,   generally  for  warm 
countries,    where    it   is    mixed   with    the    commoner 
tallow  to  make  candles.     As  this  tallow  will  not  melt 
at  a  lower  temperature  than  say  45°  C,  it  is  in  great 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  169 

demand  in  those  countries  where  the  climate  is  an 
extremely  hot  one.  Its  value  is  about  15  per  cent 
greater  than  that  of  ordinary  refined  tallow. 

Thus  every  portion  of  the  sheep  is  utilised,  with 
the  exception  of  the  blood.  And  it  is  probable  that 
even  for  this  there  will  shortly  be  found  a  profitable 
employment. 

In  the  smaller  freezino-  stores  the  curious  visitor 
will  see  all  manner  of  dainties — partridges,  asparagus, 
fish,  sucking-pig,  and  what  not.  These  little  branch 
industries  are  by  no  means  unimportant ;  and  such 
items  are  not  only  largely  employed  in  the  commis- 
sariat of  passenger  ships,  but  also  have  a  ready  exit  in 
Europe,  where  they  arrive  at  a  period  when  they  are 
out  of  season  in  the  Old  World. 

Messrs.  Drabble  Brothers,  John  Nelson  and  Co., 
O'Connor  and  Co.,  and  others,  have  also  large  estab- 
lishments for  freezing  mutton,  more  or  less  upon  the 
same  system  as  Messrs.  Sansineua. 

There  has  recently  been  established  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  town  of  Quilmes,  about  twenty  miles  from  the 
city  of  Buenos  Aires,  an  extensive  industry  for 
canning-  and  tinnino-  both  beef  and  mutton.  This 
enterprise,  entitled  the  Highland  Scot  Tin  Canning 
Company,  is  prepared  to  exploit  the  stock  of  the 
Argentine  upon  an  extensive  scale.  In  addition  to 
the  elaboration  of  1000  and  upwards  head  of  cattle 
per  diem,  the  factory  can  turn  over  2000  head  of 
sheep  daily,  freezing  those  carcases  most  convenient 
for  exportation  in   a  frozen  state,  and  canning  the 


I70  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

mutton  of  undersized  and  inferior  breeds  of  bleaters. 
This  industry  is  of  great  moment  to  the  stockmaster, 
for  it  provides  him  with  a  market  at  unseasonable 
times,  when  a  threatened  drought  or  flood  makes  it 
necessary  for  him  to  dispose  of  a  great  number  of  his 
stock  in  little  space  of  time. 

The  breeder  has  therefore  a  most  promising  out- 
look for  the  disposal  of  his  surplus  increase,  the 
present  demand  of  the  combined  frozen,  live-stock 
for  importation,  and  local  consumption  markets 
amounting  to  about  4,500,000  head  of  sheep  per 
annum,  or  say  6  per  cent  of  the  total  stock  of 
muttons  at  present  existing  in  the  Kepublic.  If  the 
breeder  has  a  care  to  continue  the  improvement  of 
the  quality  and  condition  of  his  butcher  stock,  he  has 
every  right  to  look  forward  to  a  bettering  of  prices  and 
a  wider  demand  for  his  wethers. 

Local  Wool  Markets. — The  greater  part  of  the 
produce  of  sheep  in  the  Argentine  is  sold  locally. 
For  the  purchase  of  the  wool  nearly  all  the  great 
manufacturing  firms  of  Europe  have  their  representa- 
tives in  the  River  Plate.  Some  breeders  bale  their 
wool  at  the  station  and  remit  it  for  sale  in  the 
London,  Antwerp,  and  Liverpool  markets ;  but  this 
system  is  limited  to  a  handful  of  sheep- owners  who 
have  attained  some  notoriety  for  their  wool  brands 
at  home. 

There  exist  at  present  in  the  city  of  Buenos  Aires 
three  large  wool  markets  where  the  sale  of  that  pro- 
duce  is    daily    conducted.     These   are  : — First,    the 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  171 

south  or  Constitucion  Market,  situated  at  tlie  ter- 
minus of  the  Great  Southern  Kailway,  and  which  is 
chiefly  for  the  sale  of  produce  coming  from  the  south 
of  the  RepubHc ;  second,  the  north  or  Once  de 
Setiemhre  Market,  situated  at  the  terminus  of  the 
Western  Railway,  and  which  is  for  the  sale  of  pro- 
duce coming  from  the  north  of  the  country.  And 
third,  the  Central  Market,  a  colossal  building  situated 
in  the  heart  of  the  shipping  district,  viz.  at  the 
"Boca." 

The  Constitucion  Market  consists  of  a  titanic 
building  annexed  to  the  railway  terminal  system  of 
the  Great  Southern  Railway  Company.  The  shed  is 
well  lighted,  the  whole  of  the  roof  being  of  glass. 
There  are  altogether  two  tiers  or  storeys,  access  from 
one  to  another  being  gained  by  frequent  staircases. 
Through  the  centre  there  runs  a  double  line  of  rails 
for  the  lading  and  unlading  of  produce.  The  wool 
waggons  are  manipulated  by  hydraulic  force,  and  the 
same  motive  power  is  employed  for  the  cranes  and 
other  appliances.  Vast  as  is  the  extent  of  this 
market,  it  has  been  deemed  insufiicient  for  the  re- 
quirements of  the  producer,  and  an  annexe  has  been 
recently  constructed.  This  also  is  already  overflowed 
with  produce.  I  am  indebted  to  the  courtesy  of  the 
chief  of  the  engineering  department  of  the  Great 
Southern  Railway  Company  for  the  following  figures, 
which  give  the  dimensions  of  the  two  great  sheds  : — 


172  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

Inwards  Goods  Shed. 

Total  area  occupied  by  building      .     .     ,      101,826  scpare  feet. 
Area  of  upper  floor  (excluding  stairs) .     .        71,704       „         „ 
Area  of  ground  floor  (excluding  columns)       71,845       „         „ 

Temporary  JFool  Shed  or  Annexe. 

Total  area  occupied  by  building      .     .     .        50,975  square  feet. 
Area  of  upper  floor  (excluding  stairs) .     .        37,336       ,,         „ 
Area  of  ground  floor  (excluding  columns)        37,631       ,,         ,, 

It  will  be  seen  by  the  above  that  the  wool  shed, 
together  with  the  annexe,  afford  no  less  than  five 
acres  of  superficial  accommodation  for  the  exhibition 
of  produce  for  sale. 

The  north  or  Once  de  Setiemhi^e  Market  is  com- 
posed of  three  sheds,  with  a  total  area  of  superficial 
accommodation  amounting  to  118,000  square  feet,  or 
say  2f  acres.  The  third  of  these  sheds  is  still  in 
course  of  construction.  Here  are  sold  most  of  the 
wools  from  the  north,  which,  owing  to  the  nature  of 
the  soil  and  climate,  are  heavier  and  more  full  of 
earth,  dust,  etc.,  than  those  of  the  south.  Attached 
to  this  market  there  is  an  association  of  brokers, 
termed  the  Sala  del  Once  de  Setiemhre,  where  the 
leading  brokers  meet  once  a  week,  and  which  is  open 
at  all  times  to  the  visitor,  who  will  find  a  most  valu- 
able collection  of  samples  of  produce  and  a  useful 
collection  of  reference  books.  The  foundation  of  this 
"  Sala "  is  due  to  Don  Carlos  Lix  Klett,  one  of  the 
most  laborious  and  meritorious  workers  in  the  field 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  173 

of  Argentine  produce.  The  association  ^^ublishes  a 
weekly  gazette  giving  quotations  for  all  the  current 
prices  of  produce,  and  data  bearing  upon  the  national 
commerce. 

Hie  Central  Market. — In  consideration  of  the 
distance  of  the  two  produce  markets  already  men- 
tioned, both  of  which  are  inconveniently  removed 
from  the  shipping  centre ;  having  in  account  the 
somewhat  cumbersome  method,  rendered  necessary 
by  this  distance  from  the  port,  of  baling  and  carting 
the  produce  through  almost  the  whole  length  of  the 
city  for  shipment ;  and  further,  recognising  the 
incongruity  in  that  Railway  Companies,  whose  mission 
is  to  facilitate  the  traffic  and  remission  of  produce, 
should  provide  a  bazaar  for  the  disposal  of  such 
merchandise  :  a  scheme  was  projected  to  form  a  third 
market  more  at  hand  for  the  shipping,  with  a  view  to 
centralising  the  produce  from  all  parts  of  the  Repuljlic 
to  one  central  spot.  This  proposal  found  favour  with 
the  public,  and  in  1886  a  Company  was  formed  with 
a  capital  of  3,000,000  gold  dollars.  This  Company 
acquired  a  convenient  site  on  the  south  bank  of  the 
Riachuelo,  a  creek  artificially  enlarged  and  deepened, 
and  which  runs  through  the  shipping  district  of  the 
city,  viz.  through  the  Boca  and  Barracas.  The  cost 
of  the  land  acquired  for  the  market  and  for  the 
necessary  landing-stages  amounted  to  the  sum  of 
1,490,424  gold  dollars.  A  debenture  loan  of  £300,000 
was  successfully  negotiated  in  London.  The  total 
first  estimate   for  construction  was    2,160,000    gold 


174  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

dollars,  a  sum  afterwards  exceeded  through  unforeseen 
contingencies. 

The  building  was  practically  finished,  and  the 
railway  connections  were  established,  by  the  20th  of 
May  1890  ;  from  which  date  produce  began  to  pour 
into  the  market.  There  still  remained  portions  of 
the  work  undone,  which  have  subsequently  been 
completed. 

The  Central  Market  is  an  imposing  edifice.  Its 
walls  are  of  brick,  and  the  roof,  which  is  the  most 
extensive  one  in  the  world,  is  of  iron,  with  innumer- 
able glass  cupolas  sufficient  to  fill  the  whole  space 
underneath  wdth  light.  This  roof  is  supported  by 
graceful  iron  columns.  The  building  comprises  nine 
sections  or  sheds,  without  divisionary  walls,  so  that 
one  can  walk  from  one  extreme  to  the  other  of  the 
market.  The  ground  floor  is  sufficiently  elevated  to 
admit  of  carts  and  railway  waggons  loading  and 
unloading  on  the  level.  There  are  two  tiers  or 
storeys,  the  upper  one  being  supported  by  pillars 
without  intercepting  the  skylight  from  the  ground 
floor.  The  market  is  supplied  with  seventy  hydraulic 
cranes  for  handling  the  produce.  From  the  landing 
wharfs  ships  can  be  loaded  at  the  rate  of  10,000  bags 
of  grain  per  diem  per  ship. 

The  entries  of  produce  since  the  opening  of  the 
market  until  the  30th  of  June  1892  are  as  follows : — 

1890     .      20th  May  to  30th  June  .  .       6,632  tons. 

1890  .        1st  July  to  31st  December     .      48,333     „ 

1891  .        1st  Jan.  to  30th  June    .  .     35,285     „ 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  175 

1891  .        1st  July  to  31st  December      .     30,023  tons. 

1892  .        1st  Jan.  to  30th  June     .  .      63,175     „ 

The  falling  off  in  entries  in  the  second  half  of 
1891  (the  grain  season)  is  explained  by  the  fact  that 
there  had  been  a  delay  in  sending  in  the  crops,  which 
will  make  the  entries  for  the  second  half  of  1892 
proportionately  larger. 

The  founding  of  this  market  has  taken  place  at 
an  unfortunate  epoch,  when,  owing  to  the  political 
disturbances  and  financial  difficulties  of  the  country, 
enterprises  of  this  nature  felt  upon  the  one  hand  the 
restrictions  arising  from  a  monetary  crisis,  and  on  the 
other  the  stagnation  of  local  trade.  The  position  of 
this  market  affords  many  advantages  of  which  neither 
the  Constitucion  nor  the  Once  de  Setiembi^e  can 
boast.  But  it  is  conjectural  if  the  Company  will 
attain  its  object  in  making  it  the  sole  market  of  the 
city  of  Buenos  Aires ;  and  the  convenience  of  such 
an  arrangement  is  open  to  debate.  Many  interests 
militate  in  this  question.  But,  independently  of  such 
a  consummation,  the  Central  Market  should  become 
the  depot  of  a  sufficient  quantity  of  produce  to  render 
its  institution  a  financially  successful  one,  particularly 
when  one  remembers  the  annually-increasing  produc- 
tion of  wool,  grain,  and  other  native  industries  of  the 
country. 

There  is  a  wool  market  of  considerable  importance 
springing  up  in  the  town  of  Bahia  Blanca,  itself  a 
rising  centre  of  commerce  and  provided  with  a  sea- 
port of  easy  access  for  ships  drawing  up  to  22  feet. 


176  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

This  town  will  some  day  govern  a  very  large  area  of 
pastoral  land,  and  the  wool  market  there  is  destined  to 
increase  in  proportion  to  the  stocking-tip  of  the  interior, 

Kosario,  a  town  situated  in  the  Province  of  Santa 
Fe,  to  the  north  of  Buenos  Aires,  and  which  at 
present  holds  the  position  of  the  third  principal 
shipping  port  of  the  Argentine  Eepublic,  also  boasts 
a  wool  market  of  considerable  activity.  This  port 
serves  as  an  outlet  to  the  produce  grown  in  the  north 
of  the  country. 

The  suggestion  of  establishing  produce-receiving 
sheds  at  various  points  on  the  trunk  railways  is  one 
worthy  of  consideration.  The  wool  season  commences 
toward  the  end  of  October  and  lasts  until  the  middle 
of  December.  During  this  period  about  100,000  tons 
of  wool  are  ready  for  sale,  remission,  and  transport. 
It  would  be  impossible  for  a  Railway  Company  to 
supply  rolling  stock  for  this  demand,  as,  during  the 
remainder  of  the  year,  the  traffic  of  the  country  would 
not  justify  such  an  extensive  plant.  But  at  present 
nearly  every  local  station  is  glutted  with  produce  for 
a  certain,  period  of  the  year.  To  supply  great 
receiving  centres,  planned  upon  the  same  system  as 
the  grain  elevators  of  the  United  States,  would  be  a 
measure  equally  beneficial  to  the  producer  and  the 
remitting  agent.  But  the  question  of  the  proportion 
of  the  Argentine  produce  to  the  present  medium  of 
remission  and  export  threatens  to  lead  the  writer  to  a 
polemic  which  it  does  not  lie  within  the  present  limits 
of  this  work  to  sustain. 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  177 

The  produce  u^^on  arrival  at  the  market  is 
deposited  in  a  heap,  with  the  name  of  the  broker  to 
whom  it  is  consigned  written  on  a  ticket  affixed  to 
the  lot,  and  giving  other  details  with  regard  to  the 
procedure  of  the  consignment,  weight  of  the  parcel, 
etc.  If  wool,  the  whole  of  the  fleeces  are  piled  up  on 
the  floor,  and  can  be  inspected  by  the  buyer.  The 
broker  is  in  attendance  at  his  place  in  the  market 
from  6  A.M.  until  11  a.m.,  to  receive  any  offers  for  his 
consignments  and  reject  or  accept  them  according  to 
his  judgment.  It  is  questionable  if  this  system  of 
sale  is  as  convenient  to  either  buyer  or  seller  as  that 
of  publicly- conducted  auctions  ;  but  on  the  other 
hand  it  would  be  no  easy  matter  to  sell  by  auction 
the  many  heterogeneous  lots  which  come  before  the 
buyer,  some  of  them  only  amounting  to  four  or  five 
thousand  pounds  in  weight,  and  without  the  least 
attempt  to  grade  or  classify  the  wools.  Nevertheless 
sales  of  wool  by  public  auction  have  been  introduced 
into  Buenos  Aires  for  the  first  time  in  December  1892, 
But  these  sales  savour  somewhat  of  Latin  impetuosity, 
and  the  prices  obtained  in  them  bear  no  relation  to 
the  current  value  of  the  produce  offered.  Until  the 
custom  of  grading  wool  obtains  general  use,  it  is  of 
little  gain  to  the  breeder  to  class  his  wools  for  the 
Buenos  Aires  markets ;  but  it  is  to  be  hoped  that 
such  a  method  will  be  introduced  as  the  sheep-breeding 
industry  advances.  It  will  certainly  guarantee  a  more 
dependable  price  for  the  producer,  and  the  buyer  will 
be  able  to  make  his  purchases  with  more  confidence 

N 


178  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

when  lie  finds  the  lots  offered  to  him  for  sale  of  a 
more  or  less  even  character.  As  in  the  mutton  trade, 
it  is  not  left  to  one  party  only  to  improve  upon  the 
system  of  negotiation  ;  both  buyer  and  seller  must 
go  out  of  their  way  and  meet  one  another's  views. 
The  present  system  is  illustrative  of  the  haphazard 
w^ay  in  which  everything  connected  with  the  sheep- 
breeding  trade  has  been,  and  is  even  now,  conducted — 
o;eneralising  the  business  and  sellino-  the  fat  with  the 
lean,  if  I  may  use  the  expression.  The  breeder  must 
take  the  first  ste]),  and,  by  a  nice  discrimination  in 
his  produce,  a  division  of  the  bad  from  the  good,  a 
classification  of  the  various  qualities  of  his  wares,  he 
will  encourage  the  buyer  to  show  in  the  improved 
price  he  offers  his  appreciation  of  the  change  in 
procedure.  And  those  wools  most  in  demand  in  the 
market  will  be  more  easily  distinguished  by  the  figure 
paid  for  them,  and  assist  the  breeder  to  ascertain  what 
part  of  his  produce  fetches  the  highest  price — a  know- 
ledge he  cannot  possibly  acquire  if  he  throws  all  his 
wares  into  one  common  heap. 

Means  of  transport ;  Railways  and  Roads. — A 
glance  at  the  accompanying  map  will  show  how 
well  the  country  is  supplied  at  the  present  time 
with  railways  to  convey  the  produce  to  the  market. 
In  no  district  is  the  sheep-breeder  far  removed  from 
the  iron  road,  and  the  partly  -  constructed  and 
projected  lines  still  further  promise  to  provide  means 
to  the  producer  for  sending  his  produce  to  the  centres 
of  export.      The   extraordinary  facility  with   which 


Cone£pf^' 


showing, 
the    RAILWAY    SERVICE    ,n  the  ARGENTI  N  E 
R  E  P  U  B  L  I  CiJ_ 

NoT£  oF  Railways^ 


0  Aruhtte  Bnihva, 

(J,  ArffCTUfme  Gr  lflisiern.^ai&*i^- 

at.  C^irtd  Argentina Jf^nJM^en- 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  179 

railways  can  be  constructed  in  this  country  is  one  of 
the  chief  inducements  to  develop  them  still  further. 
At  a  minimum  of  cost,  not  exceeding  £2400  per  kilo- 
metre of  one  thousand  metres,  railways  can  be  con- 
structed to  traverse  a  country  rich  enough  to  supply 
ample  traffic  returns.  The  colonist  may  rest  assured 
that  sooner  or  later  a  railway  will  be  constructed 
conveniently  near  his  run ;  and  the  financier  can 
feel  confident  that  whatever  investments  he  may  have 
made  in  railways  going  through  the  pastoral  and 
agricultural  districts  of  the  country,  they  will  give 
him  a  golden  return,  even  if  through  a  too  premature 
construction  the  enterprise  does  not  at  the  present 
time  give  any  dividend. 

The  tariff  rates  of  the  principal  railways,  for 
freight  of  produce  and  live  stock,  are  here  appended, 
giving  the  scale  of  prices  as  in  the  month  of  December 
1892. 

Buenos  Aires  and  Rosario  Railivay. 

The  charges  become  proportionately  less  in  rela- 
tion to  the  distance  the  produce  is  railed. 

There  is  a  percentage  charged  on  the  gold  tariff 
which  may  be  roughly  taken  at  100  per  cent  less  than 
the  current  rate  of  the  gold  premium.  The  freights 
quoted  here  are  those  of  the  gold  base  upon  which 
the  Company's  tariff  is  estimated. 


i8o 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


AVERAGE  TABLES. 

J  fool  and  Sheepskins,  i^er  1000  hilos,  say  per  ton. 


Distance 
in  miles. 

Charge 
jjer  ton. 

Freight 

per  ton 

per  mile. 

San  Pedro  to  Buenos  Aires 
San  Nicolas          „          „ 
Eosario                  „          „ 

Average  cost  per 

106                28s. 
147                32s. 
188               36s. 

ton  per  mile,  2|d. 

3ld. 
2|d. 
2§d. 

Live  Stock  2>er  v:aggon  {of  tv:o  floors),  say  6  tons  carrying  90  head. 


San  Pedro  to  Buenos  Aires 
San  Nicolas  ,,  „ 

Rosario  „  „ 


Distance 
in  miles. 


106 
147 

188 


Charge 
per  waggon. 


72s. 

96s. 

120s. 


Freight  per 
100  head 
per  mile. 


Average  cost  per  hundred  head  per  mile,  8|d. 


9d. 

8fd. 

8ld. 


Great  Southern  Railway. 

The  charges  become  proportionately  less  in  rela- 
tion to  the  distance  the  produce  is  railed. 

The  tariff  here  quoted  is  on  a  gold  base ;  the 
exact  current  premium  on  gold  is  added  in  making 
charges  in  national  money. 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


AVERAGE  TABLES. 

Wool  per  1000  hilos,  or  say  per  ton,  concluded  to  market. 


Distance 
in  miles. 

Charge 
per  ton. 

Freight 
per  ton 
per  mile. 

Las  Flores  to  Buenos  Aires 
Maipu              ,,              „ 
Juarez              „              „ 

Average  freight  pc 

Ill            41s.  9d. 
169            58s.  Id. 
259            77s.  8d. 

tr  ton  per  mile,  4^d. 

4|d. 
4ld. 
3|d. 

Sheep-skins  j^er  1000  kilos,  or  say  ptcr  ton. 


Distance 
in  miles. 

Charge 
per  ton. 

Freight 
per  ton 
per  mile. 

Las  Flores  to  Buenos  Aires 
Maipu              „              „ 
Juarez               „               „ 

Average  freight  pe 

Ill 
169 
259 

r  ton  per  m 

24s.  9d. 
32s.  9d. 
42s.  3d. 

ile,  2|d. 

2|d. 
2|d. 
2d. 

Sheep  per  double-floored  waggon,  carrying  90  head. 


Distance 
in  miles. 


Charge 
per  waggon. 


Freight  per 
100  head 
per  mile. 


Las  Flores  to  Buenos  Aires 
Maipu  ,,  „ 

Juarez  „  „ 


111 
169 
259 


64s. 
87s. 
115s.  6d. 


7|d. 
6|d. 
6d. 


Average  freiglit  per  hundred  head  per  mile,  6gd. 


The  charges  on  produce  here   quoted    are    those 
made  for  conducting  the  wool  and  skins  to  the  great 


i83  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

southern  wool  market  in  Plaza  Constitucion,  In  the 
cases  where  the  wool  is  removed  immediately  upon 
arrival  in  the  city  station,  the  charge  is  from  10  per 
cent  to  15  per  cent  less  ;  and  in  cases  where  the  wool  is 
remitted  in  bales  the  freight  is  about  40  per  cent  less. 

At  each  station  there  is  storage  room  for  the 
produce  awaiting  remission,  though  not  unfrequently 
duriug  the  busy  season  the  scarcity  of  waggons 
leaves  many  lots  of  wool  waiting  perhaps  six  weeks 
or  two  months  before  being  remitted  to  the  market. 
The  producer  can,  however,  to  a  certain  extent 
provide  against  such  a  contingency  by  consulting 
with  the  local  station-master,  having  his  name 
put  down  on  the  list  of  those  remitting  produce 
to  town,  and  seeing  that  his  parcel  is  ready  at  the 
station  when  his  turn  comes.  It  would  be  impossible 
for  a  company  to  have  the  supply  of  waggons  to  take 
all  the  produce  at  one  time,  as,  in  such  a  case,  quite 
two  -  thirds  of  its  roUino;  stock  would  lie  idle  the 
greater  part  of  the  year. 

Roads. — Of  roads  there  is  little  to  be  said.  In 
the  pastoral  country  there  are  no  roads,  or  the  whole 
country  is  one  road,  whichever  conception  of  the 
state  of  local  means  of  journeying  best  tickles  the 
palate  of  the  reader.  It  would  not  be  an  easy  matter 
to  make  roads  in  this  flat  level  country,  deficient  in 
every  class  of  road  metal.  Tracks  cross  the  land  in 
many  directions,  and  there  is  a  law  establishing  the 
position,  width,  and  number  of  the  gates  or  apertures 
in  the  estancia  fences.     AVhere  the  owner  has,  for  his 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


own  convenience,  wired  in  each  side  of  the  track 
crossing  his  estate,  reducing  it  to  the  prescribed  width 
of  20  or  40  metres,  as  the  case  may  be,  traffic  is 
seriously  affected  by  the  formation  of  ruts  and  mud 
holes.  Here  indeed  there  is  a  distinct  lack  of 
intelligent  local  administration  ;  and  the  rise  in  the 
value  of  land,  or  rather  the  need  of  depasturing  that 
land  to  its  fullest  extent,  has  occasioned  the  formation 
of  many  such  roads,  fenced  in  on  each  side,  and 
converted  into  veritable  mud  canals  in  the  winter 
season.  The  question  of  how  to  treat  this  growing 
evil  is  being  agitated,  and  we  may  look  forward  at  no 
distant  date  to  new  leoislation  on  the  matter.     The 

o 

direction,  width,  exact  location,  and  condition  of  the 
j)rincipal  roads  have  already  been  determined  and 
delineated  on  a  carefully  -  prepared  and  authorised 
plan.  Iron  posts  have  been  erected  at  every  2500 
metres,  to  indicate  their  location.  Ai-gentine  law 
divides  them  into  three  classes  : — 

(1)  General  Eoads. 

(2)  Municipal  Roads. 

(3)  Vecinal  Roads. 

The  distinction  between  these  three  is  chiefly  in 
that  the  first  class,  being  the  most  important,  has 
a  claim  on  the  national  treasury — a  claim  of  no 
particularly  pecuniary  advantage  in  the  meantime. 
Municipal  roads  are  those  leading  from  one  town  to 
another.  Vecinal  roads  are  those  for  the  local  com- 
munication betw^een  the  various  estancias,  camp-stores. 


i84  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

and  rural  establishments.  But  to  all  practical  intent 
the  three  divisions  may  be  treated  upon  one  common 
basis ;  and  not  unfrequently  the  vecinal  road  is  also 
the  municipal  and  general  one.  Impossible  as  it 
would  be  to  make  macadamised  roads  throughout  the 
length  and  breadth  of  the  land,  it  is  nevertheless 
feasible  to  treat  of  those  parts  of  the  road  where  low- 
ground  and  swamp  have  made  the  track  impassable ; 
and  there,  by  artificial  means,  provide  a  causeway  for 
local  traffic.  If  local  organisation,  combined  with 
special  study  and  administration  at  headquarters,  takes 
the  matter  in  hand,  the  roads  will  not  long  remain 
what  they  are  to-day — a  discredit  to  the  country. 

The  removal  of  the  wool  from  the  run  to  the 
railway  station  is  generally  undertaken  by  carters, 
who  make  a  speciality  of  the  business.  These  men 
own  troops  of  from  four  up  to  ten  carts,  each  cart 
capable  of  carrying  from  two  to  three  tons,  and 
conduct  the  produce  to  the  station  at  cheaper  prices 
than  the  stock-breeder  could  afford  to  do  it  himself. 
The  general  charge  is  about  ^d.  per  ten  kilos  per 
lineal  leao;ue  of  three  miles. 

Before  leaving  the  subject  of  carting,  freight,  and 
sale  of  produce,  it  may  be  of  interest  to  the  reader  to 
give  a  list  of  all  the  charges  upon  wool  remitted  from 
an  estancia,  say  12  miles  from  a  railway  station,  and 
the  station  say  180  miles  or  300  kilometres  from 
Buenos  Aires.  Taking  a  lot  of,  say  30  tons,  the  pro- 
ducer would  have  the  following  expenses  to  deduct 
from  the  gross  proceeds  of  the  sale  : — 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


Amount  carting  of  30  tons  (say  30,000  kilos, 

or  65,100  lbs.),  to  railway  station, 

at  2d.  per  10  kilos 

£25 

0 

0 

,,       freight  to  Buenos  Aires  at  4^d.  i)er 

ton  per  mile         .... 

92 

16 

3 

,,        "  guia  de  campana,"  fiscal  and  muni- 

cipal imposts,  etc. 

11 

10 

0 

,,       unloading,      piling,      storing,     and 

charges,  say          .... 

8 

0 

0 

,,       Broker's  commission  and  guarantee. 

3  per  cent  on  gross  proceeds 

50 

3 

6 

,,       59,300  lbs,  fleece  wool  at  6id. 

£1606 

0 

10 

,,         5,800    ,,     bellies  and  pieces  at  2|d. 

66 

9 

2 

£187 

9 

9 

£1672 

10 

0 

Expenses,  exclusive  of  brokerage,  8  2)er  cent  on  gross  2>rocccds, 
or  say  \d.  per  lb. 

Canalisation  and  Surface  Draining. — From  time 
to  time  there  has  appeared  before  the  public  a  project 
of  titanic  proportions  proposing  the  drainage  of  the 
whole  of  the  south-east  portion  of  the  Province  of 
Buenos  Aires.  The  undertaking,  as  it  is  projected  at 
present,  is  of  very  disputable  benefit,  and  represents 
such  an  enormous  expenditure  that  the  heart  of  the 
stoutest  speculator  quails  before  it.  The  cost  of  this 
scheme  in  its  entirety  is  of  such  a  fabulous  amount 
that  it  may  be  dismissed  without  further  discussion. 

But,  within  a  more  limited  sphere  of  action,  there 
is  much  valuable  grazing  land  in  the  Province  of 
Buenos  Aires,  useless  to-day  owing  to  its  swampy 
condition,  which  could  be  converted  into  excel- 
lent pasture  if  a  little  surface  draining  were  intro- 
duced. The  level  of  the  country  does  not  give  a  fall 
sufficient  to  enable  the  farmer  to  drain  his  land  with 
ease,  but  he  can  nevertheless  reclaim  many  acres  of 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


marsh  and  swamp  at  little  outlay.  In  certain  cases 
it  would  be  injudicious  to  drain  a  low-lying  piece  of 
land  or  lagoon,  as  it  serves  in  normal  seasons  to  pro- 
vide water  for  the  stock,  and  in  times  of  drought  there 
is  often  food  to  be  found  here  when  the  rest  of  the 
land  has  become  bare.  But  again,  the  existence  of 
the  great  swampy  tracts  in  the  south-east  of  the 
Province  of  Buenos  Aires  occasions  the  propaga- 
tion of  the  lung-worm  and  the  fluke,  and  if  for  no 
other  object  than  the  removal  of  this  danger,  such 
places  should  be  drained  as  much  as  possible.  Having 
established  one  or  two  main  ditches,  it  is  not  expensive 
to  run  transverse  furrows,  throwing  the  earth  for  50 
yards  to  one  side,  and  for  the  next  50  to  the  other. 
Such  small  ditches  or  furrows  should  not  be  more 
than  200  yards  distant  from  one  another,  and  the 
nearer  the  better.  There  is  certainly  room  in  this 
direction  to  provide  more  stock-grazing  land  in  cer- 
tain parts  of  the  Province,  and  to  enhance  the  value 
of  the  estate  so  treated. 


CHAPTER   YII 

SOME    ARGENTINE    ESTANCIAS 

In  order  to  give  a  practical  description  of  a  River 
Plate  stock-breeding  estancia,  I  have  consigned  to 
the  following  pages  a  few  brief  sketches  of  sheep- 
runs,  the  owners  of  which  have  kindly  supplied  me 
with  the  necessary  information.  My  original  inten- 
tion had  been  that  the  number  of  these  should  be 
considerably  greater,  but  in  some  cases  the  breeder 
was  too  busy  to  be  able  to  attend  to  my  questions, 
and  in  others  the  data  supplied  were  not  sufficiently 
precise  to  be  dependable.  The  statements  with 
respect  to  stock  -  carrying  capacity  of  land,  wool 
returns,  values  and  prices,  have  all  been  verified. 
It  will  be  observed  that  many  of  these  estancias 
have  at  one  time  been  solely  devoted  to  the  breeding 
of  merinos,  but  that  the  long- wool  is  prevailing 
everywhere,  although  most  of  the  breeders  are  wisely 
retaining  their  best  Rambouillet  and  Negretti  stock, 
or  drafting  their  fine -wools  to  the  high  lands  of  the 
interior  when  such  is  possible.  The  present  year  is 
perhaps  a  severe  test  of  the  sheep  produce.  The  past 
winter  has  been  an  unseasonable  one  ;   mortality  in 


i88  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

the  flocks  has  been  50  to  100  per  cent  in  excess  of  the 
normal  return,  and  the  wool-clip  has  been  a  light  one. 
But  this  at  any  rate  saves  the  reader  from  acquiring 
a  too  exaggerated  view  of  the  prospects  of  the  sheep 
industry  in  the  River  Plate,  and  he  may  take  the 
figures  quoted  as  representing  the  minimum  average 
returns. 

In  treating  of  the  general  sheep  of  the  country 
the  writer  has  endeavoured  to  avoid  dealing  with 
special  stock,  fearing  to  mislead  the  reader.  But  in 
order  to  obtain  reliable  data  it  has  been  necessary  to 
apply  to  first-class  breeders  ;  and  such  people  naturally 
breed  good  stock.  Wherever  general  averages  are 
quoted,  however,  these  refer  to  all-round  groups,  and 
are  exclusive  of  the  returns  from  rack-fed  stud  stock 
and  special  animals.  With  these  few  prefatory 
remarks  the  reader  is  introduced  to  a  description  of 
some  of  our  Argentine  estancias,  the  owners  of  most 
of  which  I  leave  to  speak  for  themselves. 

Estancias  "  Los  Remedios  "  and  "  Las  Acacias." 
Messrs.  Olivera  Brothers. 

This  firm,  which  has  for  long  occupied  a  foremost 
rank  amongst  the  Argentine  sheep-breeders,  has  been 
connected  at  all  times  with  the  introduction  of  fine 
Rambouillet  and  Negretti  stock  from  Europe.  The 
study  and  research  of  Don  Eduardo  Olivera,  the  head 
of  the  firm,  his  journeys  through  the  great  merino- 
producing    centres    of    France    and    Germany,    the 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  189 

valuable  works  he  has  written  on  the  results  of 
his  practical  observations,  and  the  successful  issue  of 
his  labours  in  establishing  a  splendid  type  of  Kam- 
bouillet  peculiar  to  the  Argentine,  have  earned  for 
him  the  well-merited  distinction  of  beino-  named  Life 
Honorary  President  of  the  Argentine  Kural  Society. 

The  history  of  the  Olivera  studs  dates  as  far  back 
as  1835,  when  Don  Domingo  Olivera,  the  father  of  the 
present  owners,  acquired  a  portion  of  the  celebrated 
Halsay  stud.  From  that  date  until  1858  the  stock 
was  from  time  to  time  imj)roved  with  importations 
from  Hoslitz  in  Austria.  In  the  year  1858  Messrs. 
Olivera  made  an  important  purchase  of  tups  and  ewes 
from  Mr.  Heller,  of  Chezelitz,  in  Upper  Silesia.  These 
Chezelitz  sheep  were  direct  descendants  from  Prince 
Lichnowsky's  celebrated  stud  at  Kuchelna,  and  were 
accounted  the  finest  types  of  their  breed  at  that  time 
existing  in  Europe  in  respect  to  the  quality  of  their 
wool.  In  1875  Don  Eduardo  Olivera  selected  some 
German  Negrettis  at  Mecklenburg,  and  remitted  them 
to  the  Argentine  to  be  engrafted  on  his  Chezelitz 
stock.  These  had  improved  in  quality  upon  their 
original  European  progenitors,  and  were  remarkable 
for  their  healthy  physical  qualities  and  abundant  fine 
fleece.  Some  of  the  tups  gave  up  to  28  and  30  lbs. 
of  wool.  In  1876  the  Oliveras  sold  oft'  their  Negretti 
stud  in  public  auction,  and  dedicated  themselves 
exclusively  to  the  breeding  of  Eambouillets. 

The  orioin  of  the  Olivera  Rambouillet  stock  dates 
back  to  1855,  when  Don  Domingo  Olivera  imported 


I90  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


a  number  of  animals  from  the  Imperial  stud  in  France, 
and  from  M.  Gilbert's  famous  breed.  In  1868  the 
blood  was  renewed  with  an  extensive  remission  from 
Wideville,  where  M.  Gilbert's  stud  farm  was  situated. 
The  seller,  who  had  contracted  a  sincere  friendship 
with  the  Oliveras,  father  and  sou,  took  special  care  in 
the  selection  of  these  animals,  and  the  result  was  that 
the  Oliveras  acquired  some  magnificent  specimens  of 
Rambouillet.  At  a  later  period  the  Oliveras  bought 
up  the  whole  of  the  Hardoy  and  Woodgate  Ram- 
bouillet stud  which  had  existed  for  a  number  of  years 
in  the  north  of  the  Province  of  Buenos  Aires,  and 
was  directly  descended  from  the  French  Imperial 
stud. 

Dr.  Zeballos,  in  his  work  on  the  Argentine  sheep 
studs,  gives  the  following  interesting  remarks  fur- 
nished by  Messrs.  Olivera  Brothers  : — 

"  We  have  always  kept  our  stock  free  from  the 
infusion  of  strange  blood.  We  select  the  reproducing 
types  from  the  various  families  of  the  same  breed, 
takincr  care  never  to  allow  too  close  in -breeding, 
refreshing:  the  blood  with  first-class  animals — the  best 
we  have  been  able  to  obtain  among  the  principal 
German  and  French  breeders — without  ever  losing 
sio-ht  of  our  primordial  object,  viz.  the  combination  of 
a  grand  fleece  with  a  vigorous  body  suitable  for  the 
production  of  mutton.  AVe  have  been  thus  able  to 
completely  modify  the  type  of  the  WidevilJe  sheep, 
producing  the  animal  which  the  public  has  classified 
as  the  Argentine  Ramhonillet,  the  preservation  of 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  191 

whose  type  we  never  neglect.  One  of  our  firm  (Don 
Eduardo  Olivera)  has  recently  made  a  journey  through 
France  and  Germany,  the  result  of  which  confirms  our 
satisfaction  with  the  type  we  have  created.  He  has 
been  able,  nevertheless,  to  find  in  one  or  two  studs 
sheep  of  a  sufficiently  proximate  class  to  serve  for 
refreshing  the  blood  of  our  own  stock,  without  altering 
in  any  respect  the  purity,  antiquity,  and  constancy  in 
the  reproduction  of  the  quality  attained  by  us  during 
the  lengthy  period  of  time  we  have  devoted  ourselves 
to  the  breeding  of  this  class  of  animal. 

"  The  w^ool  return  from  the  ewes  varies  from  10 
up  to  18  lbs.,  and  that  of  the  tups  from  20  to  28  lbs. 

"  The  mode  of  tending  the  sheep  is  purely  in  the 
open,  where  they  feed  on  the  natural  grasses  of  the 
land,  with  a  supplementary  ration  of  maize  and  dry 
lucern  served  out  to  them  under  roof  in  cases  of 
exceptionally  bad  weather.  By  this  system  we  have 
been  able  to  produce  an  animal  of  hardy  constitution, 
and  well  able  to  resist  the  cliano;eable  nature  of  our 
climate. 

"  Every  year,  previous  to  the  commencement  of 
the  rutting  season,  we  subject  our  tups  to  a  most 
scrupulous  revision,  and  reject  all  those  which  do  not 
correspond  in  the  utmost  degree  to  our  requirements, 
viz.  the  combination  of  a  maximum  fleece  equally 
excelling  in  quality  and  weight,  with  a  good  mutton- 
producing  carcase.  The  latter  has  to-day  become 
one  of  the  most  important  objects  in  sheep-breeding, 
havinsf  in  view  the  demand  of  the  universal  mutton 


192  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

market ;  but  we  must  never  lose  sight  of  the  fleece, 
which  will  always  be  of  more  importance  to  us  than 
to  the  European  breeder,  owing  to  the  nature  of  our 
markets,  the  conditions  of  our  soil  and  climate,  and 
the  reduced  consuming  population  of  our  country." 

The  breed  of  sheep  produced  by  Messrs.  Olivera 
Brothers  has  necessarily  made  its  mark  on  the  general 
merino  stock  of  the  Argentine,  the  sale  of  rams  every 
year  efi'ected  at  "  Las  Acacias "  being  of  first  mag- 
nitude. The  greatest  credit  is  due  to  them,  and 
especially  so  to  Don  Eduardo,  for  the  care,  study,  and 
system  with  which  they  have  conducted  the  breeding 
of  their  type  stock.  The  result  of  this  intelligent 
manaoement  has  been  to  raise  the  standard  of  all  the 

O 

o-eneral   flocks    into  which    the   Olivera  Eambouillet 

o 

blood  has  been  introduced,  and  the  improvement  of 
the  Argentine  merino  sheep  is  due,  in  a  great  measure, 
to  them. 

EsTANCiA  "El  Carmen." 

Dr.  Estanislao  S.  Zehallos. 

The  owner  of  "El  Carmen,"  who  until  recently 
held  a  seat  in  the  National  Cabinet  as  Minister  of 
Foreign  Aff'airs,  has  found  time  amidst  the  many  cares 
of  so  busy  a  life,  to  organise  an  important  sheep- 
breeding  establishment,  where  may  be  found  some  of 
the  best  blood  both  in  Rambouillet  and  Lincoln.  But 
the  sheep-breeder  in  the  Argentine  owes  more  than 
this  to  Dr.  Zeballos.     In   1887   there  appeared  the 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  193 

third  volume  of  his  work,  A  Description  of  the 
Argentine  Republic,  which,  under  the  title  of  A 
Traves  de  las  Cabanas  (Across  the  Sheep  Studs), 
treats  of  the  sheep  in  the  Argentine,  enumerates  the 
breeds,  describes  upwards  of  fifty  sheep-farms,  and, 
adding  a  consensus  of  opinion  taken  from  these 
breeders  to  his  own  experience — the  result  of  study 
and  observation — formulates  what  breeds  of  sheep  are 
best  adapted  to  the  country,  what  goals  the  breeders 
should  strive  to  attain,  and  what  errors  have  been 
committed  in  the  past  history  of  the  Argentine  sheep 
industry.  The  work  is  one  of  first  importance,  and 
should  be  read  by  every  breeder  of  the  River  Plate. 
The  author  writes  an  interesting  history  of  the  intro- 
duction of  sheep  to  the  country,  the  ups  and  downs 
in  the  experience  of  the  early  breeders'  days,  the 
vicissitudes  in  the  lives  of  some  eminent  Argentine 
flock-masters  whose  political  creed  not  only  exposed 
them  to  the  confiscation  of  their  possessions  but  im- 
perilled their  lives ;  and  so  he  leads  the  reader  up  to 
the  present  time.  Dealing  at  length  with  the  three 
great  families  of  sheep,  viz.  the  Negretti,  Rambouillet, 
and  English  long-wool,  he  discusses  the  merit  of  each 
class.  Further  chapters  are  dedicated  to  the  adminis- 
tration of  a  sheep -farm,  diseases  in  sheep,  official 
action  with  respect  to  the  industry,  and  kindred 
matters.  The  work  is  very  complete,  and  will  always 
hold  its  place  as  a  standard  authority  upon  sheep- 
breeding  in  the  Argentine. 

Dr.  Zeballos  has  been  President  of  the  Argentine 

o 


194  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


Rural  Society  since  1888.  In  1892  he  was  un- 
animously re-elected,  and  continues  to  occupy  the 
chair  to  which  he  does  so  much  honour.  In  1890, 
chiefly  thanks  to  his  zeal  and  activity,  there  was 
celebrated  in  Buenos  Aires  an  International  Live 
Stock  and  Agricultural  Exhibition,  the  most  imposing 
one  of  its  class  ever  held  on  the  South  American 
continent. 

Dr.  Zeballos  was  also  one  of  the  founders  and 
leading  members  of  the  Argentine  Geographical 
Society.  Though  still  a  young  man,  his  career  as 
a  statesman  has  already  been  a  brilliant  one.  An 
eminent  traveller,  he  has  given  the  country  some 
valuable  works  on  the  remote  districts  of  the  vast 
Argentine  territory.  In  the  lighter  paths  of  litera- 
ture his  name  is  a  familiar  one  ;  and  in  the  important 
field  of  rural  industry  he  stands  in  the  foremost  ranks 
of  those  who  have  raised  the  standard  and  conditions 
of  the  Argentine's  greatest  mine  of  wealth,  and  well 
deserves  the  title  of  a  "  worker  for  his  country." 

The  Carmen  estancia  carries  12,000  head  of  sheep, 
divided  into  the  following  breeds  : — 


Rambouillet 

1000  head 

Lincoln       .... 

10,000     „ 

South  Down  and  Oxford  Down 

1000     „ 

The  Rambouillets  include  two  stud  flocks.  The 
first  introduction  was  made  in  1883,  the  origin  of  the 
sheep  being  from  Homeyer.  In  the  following  year  a 
further  importation  was  made,  this  time  the  Imperial 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  195 

stud  of  France  being  the  breed  selected.  Sires  have 
been  bought  from  time  to  time  from  France,  Ger- 
many, and  Argentine  pure  studs.  Rams  bred  in  the 
Zeballos  stud  give  from  18  to  24  lbs.  of  wool,  and 
their  valuable  fleece  and  excellent  type  find  a  ready 
market  for  them.  The  prices  obtained  in  the  Carmen 
estancia  for  tups  vary  from  £6  up  to  £20  each. 

In  the  foundation  of  his  Lincoln  stock  Dr. 
Zeballos  has  spared  no  expense,  and  the  best- known 
flocks  in  England  have  furnished  animals  for  the 
formation  of  this  stud.  The  first  sheep  were  intro- 
duced in  1883,  their  breeder  being  Mr.  Kirkham  of 
Biscathorpe.  To  these  were  added  forty  ewes  pur- 
chased from  Mr.  Dudding, — whose  breed  of  Lincolns 
has  become  to-day  the  most  popular  in  England. 
More  than  one  prize-winner  at  the  Royal  Agricultural 
Shows  of  England  has  been  purchased  for  the  Carmen 
estancia.  The  first  stud  is  comprised  of  250  ewes,  all 
of  the  above  origin.  The  prices  obtained  for  tups 
bred  in  this  stud  vary  from  £5  to  £20.  The  second 
stud  is  composed  of  1200  head,  and  here  too  rams  are 
bred  for  sale,  their  price  varying  from  £3  to  £5  each. 

The  Down  sheep  in  the  Carmen  are  of  an  equally 
important  descent.  In  1883  Dr.  Zeballos  bought  the 
first  and  second  prize  pens  of  Oxfordshire  Down 
shearling  ewes  exhibited  in  the  Royal  Agricultural 
Show  in  England.  With  these  he  imported  a 
valuable  ram  of  the  same  breed.  Having  purchased 
40  South  Down  ewes  from  Mr.  Pereyra,  the  owner  of 
the  famous  Rivadavia  stock  first  imported  in  1826, 


196  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

and  to  which  I  have  alluded  in  an  earlier  part  of  this 
book,  Dr.  Zeballos  proceeded  to  cross  these  with 
Oxfordshires.  The  result  has  been  eminently  satis- 
factory. The  pure  Oxfordshires,  and  the  South  Down 
and  Oxfordshire  crosses,  are  carefully  kept  apart. 
Tups  are  bred  in  both  studs,  and  the  owner  finds  a 
ready  sale  for  them,  obtaining  £20  each  for  the  pure 
ones.  This  price  is  not  surprising  when  one  remem- 
bers the  first-class  origin  of  the  stock. 

The  Carmen  estancia  is  a  popular  stud-farm  with 
Argentine  breeders.  Sheep  from  this  place  have  been 
successful  in  all  the  local  live-stock  exhibitions.  This 
is  due  to  the  discrimination  of  the  owner,  who  has 
taken  care  to  purchase  all  his  stock  of  the  very  first- 
class  blood,  and  retain  the  purity  of  his  studs. 

Estancia  "  Los  Jagueles." 
Mr.  Richard  Newton. 

In  providing  a  few  notes  upon  the  three  leading 
fio'ures  in  the  Argentine  rural  world  of  to-day,  viz. 
Don  Eduardo  Olivera,  Dr.  Don  Estanislao  S.  Zeballos, 
and  Don  Ricardo  Newton,  the  writer  has  special 
pleasure  in  speaking  of  the  latter  by  reason  of  the 
ties  which  existed  between  the  forebears  of  both 
families  when  the  sheep-breeding  industry  in  the 
Argentine  was  still  in  its  earliest  infancy. 

Mr.  Richard  Newton,  the  grandfather  of  the 
present    owner    of    "  Los    Jagueles,"    came    to    the 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  197 

Argentine  in  the  first  years  of  the  Declaration  of 
Independence.  His  son,  whose  name  was  also 
Richard,  followed  him  in  1819,  and  entered  the 
house  of  Messrs.  John  Gibson  and  Sons.  His  natural 
intelligence  and  innate  love  for  stock-breedinsj  soon 
displayed  themselves,  and  in  1822  he  was  invited  to 
take  over  the  management  of  the  Monte  Grande 
estancia,  a  portion  of  which  was  shortly  afterwards 
sold  by  Mr.  John  Gibson  to  Messrs.  Robertson 
Brothers,  and  became  the  famous  Scotch  colony,  from 
the  pioneers  of  w^hich  are  descended  many  of  the 
leading  Anglo  -  Argentine  breeders  of  the  present 
time.  From  beino-  local  manao-er  of  this  estate,  Mr. 
Richard  Newton  soon  rose  to  the  general  administra 
tion  of  the  firm's  estancias.  In  1825  he  went  down 
to  the  "  Tuyu "  to  take  over  the  Hidalgo  estancia, 
which  is  to-day  the  estancia  "  Los  Yngleses."  From 
here  he  again  moved  in  1826  to  administer  the  San 
Borombdn  estate,  the  property  of  the  same  firm  ;  and 
here  he  remained  until  1834,  when  the  Gibson  firm 
liquidated,  and  he  purchased  four  square  leagues 
(26,688  acres)  of  the  same  estancia.  The  writer  has 
before  him  a  collection  of  the  correspondence  ex- 
changed between  Mr.  Richard  Newton  and  his  town 
friends,  which  shows  how  even  at  that  early  date 
he  foresaw  the  future  importance  of  the  sheep-breed- 
ing industry.  In  one  letter,  wTitten  in  the  year 
1826,  he  expresses  his  regret  at  being  unable  to  carry 
out  a  project  for  dividing  the  land  into  paddocks  ! 
It  is  curious  to  note  that  eig-hteen  vears  later  his  son. 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


the  present  Mr.  Richard  Newton,  accompanied  his 
father  on  a  visit  to  England,  and  was  beside  him 
when  he  visited  the  estate  of  Earl  Fitzwilliam,  and 
saw  the  first  wire  fence.  The  result  of  this  visit  was 
the  introduction  of  wire  fences  to  the  Argentine,  and 
the  project  of  1826  was  at  last  realised.  To-day  it 
would  be  difficult  to  compute  the  thousands  of  miles 
of  wire-fencing  existing  in  the  Argentine  Republic. 

Mr.  Newton, — I  still  speak  of  the  father  of  the 
present  owTier  of  "  Los  Jagueles," — was  one  of  the 
leaders  in  the  introduction  of  fine  European  sheep  to 
improve  the  quality  of  the  Argentine  flocks.  In  his 
San  Borombdn  estate  he  founded  merino  studs  which 
have  served  to  raise  the  standard  of  many  thousands 
of  general  sheep.  In  1866,  when  the  foundation  of 
the  Argentine  Rural  Society  was  first  mooted,  he  was 
one  of  the  most  active  partisans  in  the  cause.  The 
project  was  carried  out,  and  to-day  the  portrait  of  this 
pioneer  in  pastoral  Argentine  graces  the  general 
meeting-room  of  the  Society's  building  in  Buenos 
Aires. 

Mr.  Richard  Newton,  his  son  and  the  present 
owner  of  "  Los  Jagueles,"  has  proved  himself  worthy 
of  such  a  father.  On  more  than  one  occasion  he  has 
occupied  the  Presidential  chair  of  the  Argentine  Rural 
Society.  Wherever  the  cry  of  rural  progress  has  been 
raised,  he  has  been  in  the  van.  Commissioned  by  his 
country  to  visit  other  great  sheep-breeding  lands,  he 
spent  nearly  a  year  in  studying  the  wool  industry  in 
Australia  and  New  Zealand.     On  his  return  he  pub- 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  199 

lished  a  voluminous  work  ou  the  subject.  Though  it 
is  impossible  to  apply  the  Australian  system  of  sheep- 
raising  to  a  country  so  opposed  to  its  great  rival  in 
the  nature  of  its  pastures  and  climate,  it  is  needless  to 
say,  nevertheless,  that  there  is  much  in  this  work  to 
commend  it.  I  can  best  illustrate  the  proof  of  this 
by  quoting  the  remark  of  a  Basque  sheep-breeder  who 
has  been  particularly  successful  in  his  business,  and 
whose  estancia  is  one  of  the  most  model  ones  it  has  ever 
been  my  privilege  to  visit.  We  had  been  discussing 
a  warmly-disputed  question  on  the  matter  of  crossing 
one  class  of  sheep  with  another,  and  my  friend  wound 
up  a  thoroughly  technical  peroration  on  the  subject 
with  the  following  remark,  given  with  all  the  emphasis 
of  a  Euclidean  proposition  : — "  Y  asi  dice  Don  Ricardo 
Newton  en  su  obra  "  (And  so  says  Mr.  Richard  Newton 
in  his  work).  Before  this  eastern  colophon,  this  word 
of  the  prophet,  "  It  is  written,"  I  had  perforce  to 
retire. 

We  are  greatly  indebted  to  Mr.  Newton  for  the 
foundation  of  the  Chascomus  bi-annual  rural  fair. 
Ten  years  ago  there  were  only  two  such  fairs  in  the 
country.  To-day  there  are  more  than  ten,  and  their 
celebration  has  established  a  centre  in  each  locality 
where  the  breeder  can  either  sell  his  stock  or  buy  new 
blood,  securing  in  either  case  a  proper  market  price. 
These  fairs  are  veritable  schools  for  the  education  of 
the  sheep-farmer. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  all  of  the  stock  at  "  Los 
Jagueles"  is  of  first-class  origin   and  good   quality. 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


Like  the  firm  with  which  Mr.  Newton's  father  was 
at  one  time  connected,  he  has  shown  a  Saxon  and 
natural  predilection  for  English  sheep.  The  estancia 
"  Jaqueles "  boasts  some  Lincoln  and  Lincoln  cross 
flocks  of  excellent  type  and  valuable  properties.  Mr. 
Newton  sells  his  tups  and  ewes  at  most  of  the  district 
fairs,  and  obtains  top  prices  for  his  animals.  His 
brothers,  sons,  and  nephews  are  extensive  stock-breeders 
in  various  parts  of  the  Province  of  Buenos  Aires,  and 
wherever  the  Newton  family  exist  the  name  is  esteemed 
and  respected. 

Estancia  "El  Venado." 
SeTior  Felipe  Senillosa. 

Senor  Senillosa  is  one  of  the  Argentine  breeders 
who  both  by  precept  and  practice  has  laboured  in  the 
field  of  improving  the  general  breed  of  the  Eiver  Plate 
sheep.  His  experience  entitles  the  opinions  he  expresses 
to  great  respect,  and  he  proves  the  logic  of  his  breed- 
ing system  by  placing  in  the  market  every  year  some 
of  the  finest  Rambouillet  and  Lincoln  classic  stock 
offered  for  sale.  Both  at  the  "  Venado  "  and  at  "  San 
Felipe " —  the  property  of  his  brother,  Don  Pastor 
Senillosa,  and  of  which  I  shall  treat  farther  on — the 
administration  is  conducted  in  a  model  fashion.  The 
"  Venado  "  is  well  furnished  with  fields  of  lucern  and 
maize,  commodious  stock  and  general  sheds,  and  the 
sheep  are  tended  in  a  manner  at  once  economical  and 
profitable.     Don  Felipe  Senillosa  is  an  active  member 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


of  the  Argentine  Rural  Society,  and  his  valuable  ser- 
vices have  at  all  times  willingly  been  lent  in  the 
cause  of  the  wool  industry  of  the  country.  He  has 
kindly  favoured  me  with  important  data  of  which  I 
shall  shortly  avail  myself,  and  which  are  all  the  more 
valuable  for  being  in  every  respect  reliable  and  scru- 
pulously correct. 

As  in  the  case  of  most  estancias  whose  origin  is 
classic,  the  "  Venado "  carries  to-day  both  the  great 
families  of  bleaters,  the  merino  and  the  long-wool. 
Though  cognisant  of  the  economic  value  of  the  Lincoln 
in  the  rich  low-lying  lands  of  the  Province  of  Buenos 
Aires,  and  though  obliged  to  follow  the  market  and 
introduce  what  has  become  the  fashionable  sheep  of 
the  day,  it  would  have  been  heresy  to  admit  the 
vigorous  long-stapled  sheep  of  the  Lincoln  wold  and 
fen  into  the  golden-fleeced  delicate  flocks  of  the  merino. 
Senor  Senillosa  still  preserves  his  typical  Rambouillet 
sheep  in  the  "  Venado,"  and  of  these  I  shall  first  treat. 

In  1858,  when  the  brothers  Senillosa  took  in  hand 
the  administration  of  their  father's  estates,  the  sheep 
stock  consisted  principally  of  Creoles,  with  some  in- 
significant strain  of  merino  blood.  They  proceeded 
at  once  to  form  a  merino  stud  in  order  to  produce  sires 
to  better  the  quality  of  the  general  flocks.  Until 
1868  the  breed  they  adopted  was  the  German  Negretti, 
the  foundation  of  the  stud  being  a  purchase  of  ewes 
from  Senor  Stegman,  of  Saxon  origin  but  crossed 
from  1854  with  imported  German  Negretti  tups. 
Following  with  scrupulous  care  a  system  of  selection. 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


the  stud  flock  soon  acquired  an  even  and  high-class 
character.     From  1868,  and  on  until  the  present  date, 
Senor   Senillosa   has    continued   to   introduce   Ram- 
bouillets,    purchased    both    in    Europe    and   in    the 
Argentine  studs,  including,  in  1882,  a  most  important 
acquisition  from  the  Imperial  flock  in  France,  being  a 
tup  employed  in  the  French  stud  for  breeding  pur- 
poses, and  which  yielded  a  fleece  of  36  pounds  weight 
and  pure  quality.      Senor  Senillosa  adds  to  his  re- 
marks upon  his  Rambouillet  stock  the  following : — 
"All  the  pure  Rambouillet  sheep  I  now  possess  are  of 
direct  French  descent  from  the  Imperial  or  National 
French  stud.     These  were  formerly  in  great  demand 
here,  but  are  now  somewhat  neglected,  and  the  sheep 
called  the  German  Rambouillet  is  in  more  request — 
bearing  a  less  fine  and  less  close  fleece,  wanting  in 
character,  but  of  a  greater  volume  than  the  French 
sort.      This  change  in  fashion  is  erroneous,  as  the 
German  animal  is  less  precocious,  and  requires  more 
land  to  maintain  it  and  render  it  productive." 

Returns  from  RAiiBOUiLLET. 

Wool 

lbs.      oz. 

34  shearling  rams,  12  months'  wool,  av.  per  head  16  3 

First   stud  flock,   average   per  head.          .          .  10  12 

Second  stud  flock,                       ,,          .          .          •  8  2 

General  Rambouillet  flocks,        ,,          .          .          .  5  14 

Pmiti  Sales. 

Sold  during  past  season  422  rams  at  prices  as  follows : — 

Pure  Rambouillets  .  .          .     £7  to  £30 

From  second  stud  .  .  .      £1  :  10s.  to  £2 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


Tlie  Lincoln  stud  dates  from  1869,  the  origin 
being  from  Kirkliam  and  other  Lincohishire  flocks, 
and  from  Mr.  John  Fair's  estancia  "  El  Espartillar  "  in 
this  country.  There  now  exist  in  the  "  Venado  "  a 
flock  of  pure  origin  composed  of  300  head,  another 
larger  flock  formed  by  selection,  and  diverse  flocks  of 
Lincoln  cross  blood.  As  in  Rambouillet,  the  Senillosas 
have  been  remarkably  successful  in  breeding  Lincolns, 
the  cause  of  this  being  undoubtedly  due  to  their  sys- 
tem of  selection.  The  Lincoln  rams  they  annually 
offer  for  sale  in  the  various  local  fairs  are,  independent 
of  their  blood  and  type,  the  best  prepared  sheep  placed 
before  the  public.  It  is  not  surprising  therefore  to 
learn  that  the  "Venado"  stock  have  time  after  time 
carried  away  the  laurels  in  competitive  exhibitions. 

Returns  from  Lincolns. 

Wools. 

lbs.     oz. 

First  stud  flock,  average  per  head  .  .78 

Second  stud  flock,  „  ...        7     5 

Third  stud  flock,  „  .  .          .        G   10 

General  Lincoln  cross  flocks,  average  per  head       5     5 

Ram  Sales. 

Sold  during  past  season  296  rams  at  prices  as  follows  : — 
Pure  Lincolns       .  .  .  .      £14  to  £25 

From  second  and  third  studs         £2  :  10s.  to  £4 

The  Lincoln  stock  is  maintained  throughout  the 
year  upon  the  natural  grasses  of  the  "  Venado  "  with- 
out any  additional  forage.  The  general  Rambouillet 
stock  is  treated  in  a  like  manner ;  and  eveu  the  stud 


204  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

flock  is  by  no  means  pampered.  The  ewes  when  with 
lamb  are  allowed  a  small  quantity  of  chopped  lucern 
and  bran,  and  the  young  pure  Rambouillet  lambs  are 
supplied  with  a  moderate  ration  of  the  same  fodder. 
This  is  gradually  reduced  in  the  case  of  the  ewe  lambs, 
but  the  male  offspring  are  rack-fed  until  of  an  age  for 
sale. 

The  "Venado"  estancia  is  situated  120  miles 
from  the  city  of  Buenos  Aires,  and  its  area  is  19,760 
acres  (8000  hectares).  It  is  capable  of  carrying 
20,000  head  of  sheep,  3000  head  of  cattle,  and  300 
horses  and  mares.  This  is  equal  to  very  nearly  2 
sheep  to  the  acre.  Senor  Senillosa  informs  me  : — "  It 
is  my  custom  to  keep  a  reduced  number  of  stock  upon 
the  place  in  order  to  secure  my  animals  against  a 
possible  adverse  season.  The  proportion  of  cattle  to 
sheep  (3000  of  the  former  to  20,000  of  the  latter)  is 
what  I  esteem  a  proper  ratio,  having  in  account  the 
quality  of  the  indigenous  grasses.  Indeed,  even  in  the 
best  lands,  I  consider  it  necessary  to  have  a  propor- 
tionate quantity  of  either  stock.  Tending  sheep  alone 
upon  natural  grasses  will  eventually  have  a  prejudicial 
effect  upon  the  pasturage  ;  and  though  the  same  does 
not  apply  to  cattle,  an  estancia  limited  to  the  breed- 
ing of  the  latter  could  scarcely  be  expected  to  give  a 
satisfactory  return." 

Data  furnished  by  Senor  Senillosa  entitle  me  to 
give  the  following  increase  and  mortality  tables  : — 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


Count  of  stock  in  1891  .  .  .  15,655  head 

Count  of  stock  in  1892  .  .      16,335 

Sales  during  year  .  .  .       2,459 

Home  consumption  during  year       .        1,898 

20,692 

Increase    ......     5,037 

Being  an  increase  of  32  per  cent,  or,  deducting  home  con- 
sumption, 20  ^^er  cent. 

Losses  from  mortality  .  .  .     1,353 

Being  a  mortality  of  9  per  cent,  or,  including  home  con- 
sumption, 2 1  per  cent. 

The  price  obtained  for  the  "  Venado  "  wethers  last 
year  varies  from  8s.  7d.  to  10s. 

The  loss  from  the  bronchial  worm  in  the  "Venado" 
during  the  past  disastrous  season  has  been  insignificant, 
though  the  parasite  was  peculiarly  virulent  in  the 
vicinity  of  this  estancia.  Seiior  Senillosa  attributes 
the  small  mortality  in  his  flocks  to  a  liberal  distribu- 
tion of  rock-salt  in  all  the  paddocks. 

The  "Venado"  estancia  will  figure  conspicuously  in 
the  wool-department  of  the  Argentine  section  in  the 
Columbian  exposition.  The  following  are  the  exhibits 
sent  by  Senor  Senillosa  to  Chicago  : — 

A  sample  ewe's  fleece  from  the  first  Rambouillet  Stud. 

second  „  „ 

Two  ,,  „  first  Lincoln  Stud. 

Two  sample  ram  fleeces  from  the  rack-fed  Eambouillets. 
Three  „  „        paddock-grazed 

Three  „  „  »  Lincolns. 

Two  „  „  „      second  stud  „ 

One  ewe's  fleece  „  ,,     third       ,. 

One  hogget's  fleece         „  „  „         ,,      „ 


2o6  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

"  All  these  samples  have  been  taken  from  the 
shearing  -  boards,  and  are  guaranteed  specimens  of 
the  class  of  wool  grown  in  the  estancia  for  the 
market." 

The  information  I  have  briefly  supplied,  quoted 
from  the  manuscript  kindly  written  for  me  by  Don 
Felipe  Senillosa,  shows  in  the  precision  with  which 
it  is  given  the  reliability  of  its  references.  The 
"  Venado  "  estancia  is  one  w^hich  does  honour  to  the 
country  in  which  it  flourishes,  and  the  owner  is  one 
of  the  most  worthy  of  the  builders  of  the  Argentine 
nation's  fortune. 

Estancia  "  San  Felipe." 
Don  Pastor  Senillosa. 

I  have  already  described  at  some  length  the  sister 
estancia  "  El  Venado,"  the  property  of  the  brother 
of  Don  Pastor  Senillosa,  and  as  the  origin  of  the 
Kambouillet  stud  is  the  same  in  both  estates,  there  is 
no  need  for  me  to  recur  to  it  again.  SuflSce  it  to  say 
that  at  "  San  Felipe  "  the  same  scrupulous  exactitude 
in  breeding  and  selection  obtains  as  at  the  "  Venado." 

"San  Felipe"  is  situated  some  250  miles  to  the 
south  of  the  city  of  Buenos  Aires,  on  the  37°  15' 
parallel  of  S.  latitude,  and  distant  about  35  miles  from 
the  Atlantic  sea-board.  Its  area  is  composed  of  1 7, 2  6 3 
hectares  (42,640  acres)  of  good  land,  with  three 
permanent  fresh -water  lagoons,  and  a  fresh -water 
stream   which   traverses   the   estate   diagonally.      A 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  207 

portion  of  the  land  which  is  somewhat  low-lying  has 
been  surface  drained.  The  natural  grasses  are  of  a 
good  quality  and  include  several  classes  of  graminea, 
trefoil,  wild  oat,  soft  thistle,  etc. 

The  estancia  is  divided  by  a  central  fence,  and 
one  half  is  subdivided  into  seventeen  paddocks  of 
various  sizes.  The  following  is  the  carrying  capacity 
of  the  land  : — 


Sheep 

.      50,000  head 

Cattle 

.       9,250     „ 

Horses  and  mares 

.        1,400     „ 

Equal  to  2*40  sheep  per  acre. 

Owing  to  the  recent  unfavourable  years,  and  the 
invasion  of  the  bronchial  worm,  the  sheep  stock,  which 
is  entirely  Kambouillet,  has  been  greatly  reduced  by 
mortality. 

The  head  station  is  one  of  imposing  size,  and  is 
composed  of  twenty-one  principal  buildings,  all  con- 
structed of  brick  and  lime.  It  is  surrounded  by  a  hand- 
some wood  composed  of  the  white  and  olive  leafed 
acacias,  eucalyptus,  Lombardy  poplars,  willows,  elms, 
oaks,  and  ashes  ;  the  tree  which  Senor  Senillosa  finds 
most  useful  being  the  white  acacia.  All  the  interior 
fences  upon  "San  Felipe"  are  constructed  of  this 
timber.  There  are  no  less  than  nine  extensive  sheds 
for  shearing,  rack-feeding,  and  general  purposes.  Both 
lucern  and  maize  are  cultivated  extensively,  but  even 
so  the  demand  of  the  estancia  exceeds  the  supply, 
and  it  is  necessary  each  year  to  buy  large  quantities 


2o8  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

of  the  latter  provender.  It  is  refreshing  to  hear  of 
an  estate  which  not  only  consumes  its  agricultural 
produce,  but  buys  that  of  its  neighbours  in  order  to 
reduce  it  to  its  most  economical  form  for  exportation 
to  Europe,  viz.  in  the  shape  of  beef,  mutton,  and  wool. 
As  has  already  been  stated,  the  only  breed  of 
sheep  upon  the  "  San  Felipe  "  estancia  is  Rambouillet. 
The  past  wet  seasons  have  not  been  favourable  to 
this  place,  and  the  sheep  stock  is  reduced  to-day  to 
26,000  head.  The  stud  flock  is  composed  of  300 
ewes,  divided  into  four  sections  in  order  to  carry  out 
with  more  discrimination  the  practice  of  selection. 
A  second  stud  exists,  formed  from  the  off'-throw  of 
the  first  stud,  which  number  1300  head,  claiming  a 
direct  descent  from  the  French  Imperial  Flock. 

Returns. 

Wool. 
Stud  rams  bred  in  Nos.  1  and  2  give  from  15  to  26  lbs. 
Stud  ewes  bred  in  Nos.  1  and  2  give  from  8  to  13|^    „ 
Stud  No.  2  gives  an  average  of  8*23  lbs. 
General  flocks  give  „  6 '29    „ 

Prices  fo^'  wool. 
Last  year's  all-round  price  obtained  for  the   "San  Felipe" 
wools  in  Buenos  Aires  was  6d.  per  lb. 

Sales. 
Tups  bred  in  Stud  No.  1  sell  at  from  £16  to  £40  each. 
Tups       „  „          2       „  „     £2  to  £4  each. 

Wethers  from  general  flocks  sell  at  12s. 
Culls  „  „  7s.  to  8s. 

As  has  already  been  explained,  the  recent  unfavour- 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  209 

able  years  have  occasioned  a  decrease  in  tlie  flocks. 
Senor  Senillosa  informs  me  that  previous  to  1889  he 
obtained  an  annual  increase  of  35  per  cent,  including 
home  consumption  in  this  estimate. 

"  San  Felipe  "  is  one  of  the  estancias  which  will 
exhibit  sample  fleeces  selected  from  the  general  clip 
of  1892  at  the  Columbian  Exhibition  in  Chicago. 
These  wools  are  intended  to  be  illustrative  of  the 
general  produce  of  the  estancia,  and  have  not  been 
specially  selected  or  prepared  for  show  purposes. 

The  constancy  with  which  Don  Pastor  Senillosa 
has  limited  himself  to  the  exclusive  production  of 
Eambouillets  will  eventually  bring  its  own  reward. 
Although  at  present  a  series  of  unfavourable  years 
and  scant  demand  have  rendered  the  returns  of  the 
place  less  lucrative  than  the  value  of  the  stock  and 
care  in  breeding  deserve,  a  change  in  the  tide  of 
affairs  will  some  day  set  in.  Senor  Senillosa  is 
experiencing  to  -  day  what  the  Argentine  Lincoln 
breeders  came  through  in  the  "  sixties "  and 
"seventies."  But  an  over-production  of  Lincoln 
will  occasion  a  change  of  fashion  in  a  few  years,  and 
then  the  purity  and  class  of  the  "  San  Felipe  "  stock 
will  attain  for  it  a  first  place  in  the  market. 

Estancia  "  Negrete." 

The  famous  old  "Carmen"  estancia,  now  the 
"'  Negrete,"  and  the  property  of  Mr.  David  A.  Shen- 
nan,  is  generally  looked  upon  as  the  model  estancia 

p 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


of  the  Province  of  Buenos  Aires.  A  retrospect  of  its 
history  takes  us  back  to  the  earliest  days  of  the 
sheep-breeding  industry,  for  its  founder,  and  for  a 
long  time  its  owner,  was  none  other  than  Mr.  John 
Hannah,  whose  name  so  frequently  figures  in  this 
work,  and  to  whom  we  owe  in  a  great  measure  the 
perfection  of  the  Argentine  merino  stud.  Every 
building  and  every  paddock  is  surrounded  with  the 
tradition  of  the  old  days  of  sheep-breeding,  and 
carries  the  memory  back  to  the  epoch  when  Argen- 
tine breeders  could  be  counted  on  the  dio;its  of  a 
man's  hands. 

The  estancia  "  Negrete"  is  situated  about  80 
miles  south  of  the  city  of  Buenos  Aires,  and  about 
8  miles  from  Villanueva  station  on  the  Great  Southern 
Kail  way.  Its  area  is  composed  of  about  27,300 
acres,  divided  into  over  thirty  paddocks,  many  of 
which  have  for  divisionary  lines  handsome  belts  of 
acacia,  pine,  casuarina,  pepper,  and  other  trees.  The 
land  is  chiefly  a  rich  black  loam,  with  a  good  water 
supply,  some  of  the  paddocks  being  traversed  by  a 
branch  of  the  Salado  river.  The  pastures  are  chiefly 
composed  of  soft  grasses,  including  rye  grasses,  wild 
oat,  trefoil,  etc.  Nevertheless  the  good  qualities  of 
the  pasture  land,  and  the  stock-carrying  capacity  of 
the  estate,  are  more  due  to  skilful  management  and 
judicious  division  of  animals  than  to  the  natural 
qualities  of  the  soil ;  so  much  so  that,  a  few  years 
ago,  when  the  valuation  of  the  land  for  taxation 
purposes  had  been  placed  at  a  price  which  appeared 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


over-estimated  in  the  eyes  of  the  manager,  and  he 
protested  before  the  local  jury,  the  chairman  of  this 
worthy  body,  and  an  old  neighl^our  in  the  vicinity, 
assented  at  once,  and  exclaimed,  "  Certainly,  give  a 
rebate.  The  '  Neg-rete  '  is  the  worst  land  in  the  whole 
department."  This  is  interesting,  as  it  serves  to  point 
out  what  can  be  done  by  drainage  and  capable  man- 
agement. 

The  stock-carrying  capacity  of  the  "  Negrete  "  is 
as  follows  : — 

Sheep       ....  35,000  head. 

Cattle       ....  7,500      „ 

Horses  and  Mares      .         .  1,800      „ 

Being  the  equivalent  o/  3"12  sliee/p  per  acre. 

The  steading  is  approached  by  a  stately  avenue 
of  eucalyptus  trees,  probably  about  the  oldest  of  this 
species  of  tree  in  the  country.  The  yards,  sheddings, 
stables,  and  labourers'  quarters  are  very  extensive 
and  complete.  They  include  large  brick  buildings 
for  the  stud  merinos,  wool  and  shearing-sheds,  dip- 
ping plant  and  yards — all  the  latter  being  on  the  Aus- 
tralian system.  The  wool  is  baled  here  and  remitted 
direct  to  London  and  Liverpool  for  sale  ;  it  is  carefully 
sorted  and  skirted  before  going  to  the  press,  the  latter 
being  a  very  little  practised  custom  with  Argentine 
wool-growers.  There  are  many  hundreds  of  acres  of 
timber,  all  planted  within  the  last  half-century.  The 
land  is  greatly  ornamented  by  little  clumps  and  belts 
of  trees  placed  here  and  there,  giving  the  landscape  an 
English  appearance,  and  affording  shelter  everywhere 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


for  the  stock.  The  private  dwelling-house  is  a  hand- 
some building  of  bungalow  form,  and  was  constructed 
by  the  late  Mr.  John  Hannah.  AVhen  this  country 
was  visited  in  1882  by  the  young  sailor  princes,  the 
late  Duke  of  Clarence  and  the  Duke  of  York,  they 
spent  a  few  days  at  the  "  Negrete  "  estancia  as  the 
guests  of  Mr.  Shennan. 

There  are  at  present  on  the  "Negrete"  35,000 
sheep  of  the  following  breeds  : — 

1  Negretti  stud  flock. 
1  Rambouillet  stud  flock. 
3,500  Rambouillet  first-class  sheep  of  classic  descent. 
30,000  Leicester  sheep. 
500  Lincoln  sheep. 

1  Leicester  and  Rambouillet  cross  flock. 

To  trace  the  orio;in  of  the  Neo-retti  stud  we  must 
go  back  to  the  "  Galpones"  and  the  old  Sheridan- 
Harratt  flock.  Mr.  John  Hannah  was  the  adminis- 
trator of  this  breeding-farm,  and  was  qualified  for  the 
selection  of  type  animals  for  his  own  stud.  German 
Negrettis  were  imported  first  about  1846  to  the 
"Carmen,"  or  as  it  is  now  called,  the  "Negrete" 
estancia.  In  1853  a  new  venture  was  made,  in  recog- 
nition of  the  general  change  from  superfine  wools  to 
the  more  abundant  if  coarser  fleece  of  the  Ram- 
bouillet, and  importations  of  this  class  of  sheep  were 
made  from  the  Imperial  stud  flock  of  France.  The 
two  breeds  were  and  are  kept  apart,  but  the  Ram- 
bouillet stock  has  been  more  generalised  ;  and  whilst 
the  Negrettis  number  only  200  type  ewes,  the  Ram- 


IX  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


bouillets  ascend  to-day  to  3500  head.  Vermonts 
have  been  imported  from  North  America  since  1882, 
to  serve  in  the  Neo;retti  stud.  Some  of  these  animals 
have  yielded  a  fleece  of  almost  fabulous  weight.  The 
last  introduction  is  a  grand  sheep  from  Pomerania, 
selected  by  Mr.  Shennan  himself,  and  the  fleece  of 
which  is  of  mao;nificent  character  and  evenness. 
Rams  bred  in  the  Negretti  stud  yield  from  24  up  to 
30  lbs.  of  wool,  and  sell  at  prices  up  to  £200.  De- 
spite the  absence  of  demand  for  this  class  of  stock, 
those  bred  at  the  "  Negrete"  still  find  an  eao;er  market. 
Rams  bred  in  the  Rambouillet  studs  give  fleeces  from 
16  lbs.  up  to  32  lbs.,  and  also  fetch  grand  prices  in 
the  market. 

The  first  introduction  of  Leicesters  was  made  in 
1872,  and  the  number  of  animals  of  this  class  now 
reaches  30,000  head.  They  are  preferred  by  many 
to  the  Lincolns,  particularly  for  the  first  cross  with 
common  mestizos. 

There  are  two  small  Lincoln  studs,  the  rams  of 
which  are  bred  exclusively  for  sale.  The  owner  of 
the  "Negrete"  prefers  the  Leicester  to  the  Lincoln,  and 
does  not  purpose  increasing  the  number  of  the  latter. 

Finally,  there  is  one  Leicester  and  Rambouillet 
cross  flock,  the  object  being  to  breed  up  to  a  long- 
wool  type.  This  is  the  first  cross-flock  grown  here, 
and  the  Rambouillet  ewes  selected  were  from  the 
lowest  grade. 


;i4  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


Eeturns. 

Wool.     Average  taken  of  three 

years^  clips 

Xegi-etti  Stud  e-wes    . 

10-48  lbs.  per  head. 

Eambomllet     do. 

8-70 

Eambouillet  General  Flocks 

6-94 

Xo.  1  Leicestei^  e^ves 

7-81 

Leicester  General  Flocks    . 

6-29 

Xo.  1  Lincoln  ewes    . 

.      10-24 

1st  Class  Leicester  and  Eambouillet 

5-64 

General  Eeturn  from  35,000  bead 

6-42 

2  to 

80 

2  to 

4 

4  to 

12 

4  to 

10 

Value  of  Wool. 
In  1893  the   "Xegi-ete"  fleece  wools  fetched  from  8;|d.  to 

8f  d.  per  lb.  in  the  Liverpool  market. 

Prices  obtained  for  Stocl: 
Xegretti  tups  from  £20  to  £100 

Eambouillet  Stud  tups 

„  General    ,, 

Leicester  tups 
Lincoln  tups 

The  Leicester  two-shear  Avethers  are  geiierall}-  exported 
alive,  but  may  be  placed  in  this  country  at  from  14s.  to  16s.  ; 
Eambouillet  wethers  and  culls  at  from  9s.  6d.  to  12s. 

Before  terminatino-  this  scant  notice  of  the 
"  Negrete"  estancia,  I  must  be  allowed  to  add  a 
word  of  tribute  in  praise  of  Mr.  George  Evans,  the 
popular  manager.  The  fact  that  animals  bred  on 
this  place  have  been  under  his  supervision  is  a  suffi- 
cient guarantee  that  their  pedigree  is  thoroughly  re- 
liable. A  lamb  born  out  of  date,  a  calf  or  foal  brought 
into  the  world  like  Edmund  "  before  he  was  sent 
for,"  is  degraded  and  branded  for  life  as  "  blemished." 
Mr.  Evans's  name  has  become  as  associated  with  the 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


"  N^grete  "  estancia  as  was  that  of  Mr.  Jolin  Hannah 
in  the  days  when  it  was  still  the  "  Carmen"  ;  and  the 
latter  has  found  a  successor  worthy  of  his  fame.  Mr. 
Evans  has  been  for  more  than  twenty  years  a  well- 
known  breeder  in  the  Argentine,  and  before  under- 
takino-  the  administration  of  the  "  Neo:rete,"  he  was 
the  partner  of  Messrs.  Musgrave  and  O'Grady  of 
"  Chacabuco"  celebrity.  Had  we  a  few  more  men  of 
like  knowledge  and  activity  to  resuscitate  the  languish- 
ing rural  associations  of  the  country,  we  should  soon 
see  firmly  established  the  hard-and-fast  rules  by  which 
all  type -breeding  must  be  governed;  and  stock- 
raisers,  who  are  to-day  blindly  mixing  races,  blending 
unsympathetic  bloods,  and  floundering  helplessly  in 
the  paths  of  ignorance,  all  regardless  of  local  soil  and 
climate,  type,  points,  and  atavism,  would  have  de- 
pendable information  supplied  to  them  to  guide  them 
in  their  manner  of  doing.  I  must,  however,  close 
this  brief  notice,  lest  pleasant  reminiscences  of  the 
"  Negrete"  estancia  lead  me  astray  from  the  matter  of 
which  the  cold  pages  of  a  work  on  sheep  should  treat. 

Estancia  "Espartillae." 

This  valuable  and  important  estate  is  the  property 
of  Mr.  John  Fair.  The  name  of  Fair  is  one  associated 
with  the  rural  industry  of  the  Argentine  from  the 
earliest  years  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence, 
and  the  country  is  in  no  small  degree  indebted  to  the 
vigorous  enterprise  of  this,  one  of  the  leading  Saxon- 


2i6  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

Argentine  families.  Mr.  Jolm  Fair  is  the  only 
Englishman  who  is  an  honorary  member  of  the 
Argentine  Rural  Society. 

The  estancia  "  Espartillar  "  is  situated  in  the  De- 
partment of  Ranchos,  some  seventy-five  miles  south 
of  the  city  of  Buenos  Aires.  The  name  of  the  estate 
is  derived  from  the  existence  of  a  huge  grass,  abundant 
in  that  district,  belonging  to  the  fibrous  gynerius 
family,  and  a  plant  well  known  in  the  paper  trade. 
The  estancia  is  one  whose  history  goes  back  to  the 
first  days  of  the  sheep-breeding  industry  in  the  Plate, 
and  its  stock,  both  of  merinos  and  long-wools,  is  of 
classic  origin. 

The  soil  is  a  deep  black  loam  on  the  high  land,  on 
which  all  classes  of  natural  nutritious  grasses  flourish, 
including  the  various  graminea,  trefoil,  soft  thistles, 
and  other  valuable  pastures.  The  land  is  well  drained 
by  several  water-courses,  which  take  ofi"  the  surplus 
water  in  wet  seasons,  and  these  are  assisted  by  arti- 
ficial surface  drains,  which  are  extended  every  year. 

The  area  of  the  "  Espartillar  "  is  six  square  leagues 
(40,000  acres).     The  stock  it  carries  is  as  follows  : — 

Sheep 54:,000  head. 

Cattle 8,000    „ 

Horses  and  Mares        .  .          .        1,900    „ 

Being  Hie  equivalent  of  2'50  .■<heej)  per  acre. 

The  head  station  includes  every  modern  improve- 
ment in  buildings ;  shearing,  baling,  rack,  and  general 
sheds  ;  stables,  yards,  and  dipping  plant ;  and  is  well 
supplied  with  home  fields  of  lucern,  maize,  and  other 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  217 

necessary  forage.  It  is  surrounded  with  stately  woods 
of  acacias  and  eucalyptus  trees,  not  only  employed  to 
supply  timber  for  the  requirements  of  such  an  ex- 
tensive estancia,  but  also  to  serve  as  shelter  for  the 
stock. 

The  estate  is  divided  into  twenty -five  paddocks 
of  various  sizes,  the  divisionary  lines  being  made  of 
swing  fences  with  hardwood  posts  and  droppers,  and 
galvanised  wire.  The  sheep  stock  roam  in  freedom 
in  these  wide  enclosures,  and  the  Australian  system 
of  tending  and  boundary  riding  has  long  obtained 
favour  with  the  administration.  As  many  as  5000 
head  of  long-wools  are  allowed  to  run  in  freedom  in 
one  paddock,  and  scab  has  almost  become  an  unknown 
quantity  in  the  estancia. 

The  history  of  special  sheep-breeding  dates  back 
to  1856,  the  stud  stock  of  that  period  being  of  pure 
Rambouillet  origin.  Many  of  the  prominent  French 
merino  Ai'gentine  studs  of  to-day  owe  their  descent 
to  the  "  Espartillar  "  stock.  English  long-wools  were 
shortly  after  introduced,  and  the  tradition  of  the 
breeding  of  both  classes  of  bleaters  is  practically 
collateral.  The  "Espartillar"  has  been  eminently  suc- 
cessful in  competitive  exhibitions,  both  in  the  Argen- 
tine and  abroad.  It  is  responsible  for  the  strain  of 
blood  existing  to-day  in  many  hundreds  of  thousands 
of  Argentine  sheep,  and  has  been  and  is  one  of  the 
chief  fountain-heads  to  which  breeders  from  all  corners 
of  the  country  have  gone  in  search  of  typical  sires  for 
the  betterment  of  their  own  flocks. 


2i8  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

The  Eambouillet  stock  *at  present  numbers  21,000 
head.  This  includes  two  stud  flocks  of  pure  origin. 
The  type  of  the  sheep  is  a  large  and  vigorous  body 
combined  with  a  close  and  voluminous  fleece  of 
medium  to  fine  wool. 

The  Lincoln  stock  numbers  33,000  head,  including 
5000  practically  pure  ram-breeding  ewes.  The  type 
of  the  "  Espartillar  "  Lincoln  is  especially  commendable 
for  its  valuable  fleece.  The  writer  has  frequently 
admired  the  even  quality  of  the  wool  upon  the 
"Espartillar"  Lincoln  tups — an  evenness  not  easily 
attainable  in  this  class  of  sheep,  and  which  is  too 
frequently  neglected  by  the  English  breeders.  Both 
the  Eambouillet  and  Lincoln  rams  from  this  place 
are  in  o-reat  demand  with  the  Aroentine  breeder,  and 
they  have  acc[uired  a  celebrity  which  they  well  merit, 
by  reason  of  their  purity  and  judicious  selection. 

Eetu'rns. 

JVool 
Average  per  head  from  21,000  Eambouillets    .  .      5*42  lbs. 

33,000  Lincolns  .  .  .       777    „i 

General  average  per  head  on  everything  that  enters 

the  shearing  yard,  exclusive  of  suckling  lambs       .       7*01    ,, 
Value  of  Wool. 
In  1893  the  Espartillar  fleece  wool  fetched  from  8d.  to  Sid. 
per  lb.  ill  the  Liverpool  market. 

Increase  of  Stock. 
Average  returns  taken  over  a  large  number  of  years  show 
an  actual  realisable  increase  of  16|  per  cent,  Avhich  is,  of  course, 
exclusive  of  home  consumption. 

^  This  is  probably  the  heaviest  wool  return,  obtained  from  such  a  large 
number  of  sheep,  in  the  Argentine  Republic. 


IX  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  219 


Prices  obtained  for  Stock. 

Kambouillet  and  Lincoln  tups,  from  £3  to  £14. 
Lincoln  cross  two-shear  wethers,  from  14s.  6d. 
Eambouillet  Avethers  and  culls,  from  9s.  6d.  to  123. 

The  management  of  the  "  Espartillar "  is  in  the 
capable  hands  of  Mr.  Frank  Tetley.  The  preceding- 
pages  tell  their  own  tale  of  what  judicious  administra- 
tion on  a  River  Plate  estate  will  bring  forth.  I  take 
this  opportunity  of  thanking  Mr.  Tetley  for  having 
provided  myself  and  the  reader  with  statistics  which 
serve  as  standard  information  upon  which  every 
reliance  can  be  placed. 

"Dos  Hermanos." 
Ramon  Santamarina  and  Sons. 

Messrs.  Santamarina  are  the  owners  of  several 
estancias,  and  the  number  of  sheep  they  at  present 
possess  is  over  300,000  head.  I  have  selected  their 
estate,  "Dos  Hermanos,"  as  a  specimen  run. 

This  estancia  is  situated  close  to  the  town  of 
Tandil,  and  some  250  miles  south  of  the  city  of 
Buenos  Aires.  The  soil  is  chiefly  a  rich  black  loam, 
and  the  grasses  are  all  of  the  finer  sorts.  The  Tandil 
stream  runs  through  the  estate,  watering  most  of  the 
paddocks.  The  land  is  fenced  in  and  divided  into 
paddocks  of  various  areas.  Some  of  the  land  has  been 
under  cultivation,  and  is  again  restored  to  pasturage. 

The  steading  is  very  complete,  and  comprises  wool 
and  general  sheds,  stables,  cow-yards,  shearing  shed. 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDIXG  INDUSTRY 


dipping  plant,  extensive  labourers'  quarters,  etc.  For 
the  past  two  years  the  Barigaud  shearing  machine 
has  been  employed  here,  and  the  results  have  been 
satisfactory. 

The  area  of  "  Dos  Hermanos  "  is  22,724  acres,  and 
its  stock-carrying  capacity  is  as  follows  : — 

Sheep 45,000  head. 

Cattle 5,000      „ 

Horses  and  Mares         .  .  .  500      ,, 

Being  the  equivalent  o/  3*24  sheep  per  acre. 

Of  the  sheep,  30,000  are  Rambouillet  merinos  and 
15,000  are  Lincoln  crosses.  The  former  date  back 
twenty -five  years,  and  owe  their  blood  to  a  Eam- 
bouillet  stud  flock  of  classic  descent,  which  still 
exists  on  the  "Dos  Hermanos."  Since  1885  Messrs. 
Santamarina  have  turned  their  attention  to  Lincolns. 
They  have  imported  on  various  occasions  valuable 
sheep  from  the  principal  Lincolnshire  breeders,  and 
they  have  also  bought  extensively  from  Messrs. 
Gibson  Bros.  The  Lincoln  stud  flock  is  one  of 
excellent  type.  There  are  no  rams  sold  from  here, 
the  w^hole  of  the  stud  males  being  employed  for 
service  upon  other  estates  the  property  of  the  same 
gentlemen. 

Returns. 

Average  per  head  on  45,000  sheep  .  .      4  8 4  lbs. 

Value  of  Wool 
These  wools  iietted  6|d.  this  year,  after  deducting  all  costs 
and  brokeraf]ce. 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


Prices  obtained  for  Stock. 

The  only  stock  sold  from  here  are  the  wethers,  which  fetch 
from  8s.  to  10s.  6(1.  each. 

The  Tandil  district  is  greatly  indebted  to  the 
Santamarinas  for  the  assistance  they  have  lent  to  the 
pastoral  industry.  The  local  rural  association  at  that 
place  was  founded  and  is  mainly  supported  by  them. 
Don  Ramon  Santamarina  has  held  a  seat  for  some 
years  in  the  Council  of  the  Argentine  Rural  Society. 
Their  name,  indeed,  is  honourably  associated  among 
those  of  the  first  leaders  in  the  sheep-breeding  industry 
of  the  River  Plate. 

ESTANCIAS    OF    De.    CeLEDONIO    PeREDA. 

The  five  estates  of  Mr.  Pereda,  situated  as  they 
are  in  various  parts  of  the  Province  of  Buenos  Aires, 
afford  a  general  and  practical  illustration  of  the 
stock-productive  qualities  of  the  River  Plate  pasture 
lands.  Their  combined  area  exceeds  168,000  acres; 
and,  independent  of  the  portion  let  to  colonists  and 
others,  they  carry  45,000  sheep,  22,500  cattle,  and 
4150  horses  and  mares,  the  property  of  Senor 
Pereda. 

Don  Celedonio  Pereda  has  taken  an  active  part 
in  the  furthering  of  Argentine  rural  interests.  He 
has  from  time  to  time  imported  considerable 
quantities  of  horses,  cattle,  and  sheep  from  Europe, 
and  in  each  estancia  there  exist  studs  of  pure-bred 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDIXG  INDUSTRY 


stock.  He  lias  for  some  years  been  an  active 
member  of  the  committee  of  the  Argentine  Rural 
Society,  and  has  ever  shown  a  disinterestedness, 
aud  a  readiness  to  sacrifice  both  time  and  money 
in  behalf  of  all  matters  afi'ecting  the  pastoral  in- 
dustry of  his  country.  Under  his  chairmanship 
the  Azul  Rural  Society  has  taken  its  place  among 
the  district  associations  of  the  Province  of  Buenos 
Aires,  and  the  bi-annual  meetino;s  and  fairs  cele- 
brated  there  have  fomented  the  improvement  in 
stock-breeding  in  the  locality.  In  1889  he  visited 
England,  and  the  result  of  his  inspection  of  English 
farms  and  stock  has  shown  itself  in  numerous  useful 
articles  contributed  to  the  River  Plate  press,  and 
in  the  acquisition  of  some  valuable  specimens  of 
British  horses,  cattle,  and  sheep.  As  will  be  seen 
farther  on,  there  has  been  established  in  each 
estancia  a  nucleus  of  carefully-selected  stud  animals, 
and  these  will  in  time  leaven  the  general  stock,  and 
raise  it  to  a  his^h  standard. 

Don  Celedonio  Pereda  has  kindly  provided  me 
with  a  detailed  account  of  each  estancia,  and  the 
matter  contained  in  his  report  on  them  is  of  such 
value  to  the  reader  that  I  purpose  quoting  him  at 
length,  reserving  my  summary  for  the  conclusion 
of  this  brief  section. 

''La  Isabel.'' — This  estancia  is  situated  180  miles 
south  of  the  city  of  Buenos  Aires,  and  6  miles 
north  of  the  town  of  AzuL  Its  area  is  equal  to 
15,067    acres,    of    a   somewhat    inconvenient    shape, 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  223 

being  composed  of  three  oblocg  rectangular  blocks 
of  5022  acres  each,  which  touch  one  another  at  one 
of  their  angles,  but  have  no  common  divisionary 
line  between  any  two  of  them.  The  estancia  is 
divided  into  twenty -two  paddocks,  the  most  ex- 
tensive of  which  is  of  1500  acres.  The  boundary  and 
divisionary  fences  are  constructed  of  hardwood  posts, 
J  wires  of  galvanised  steel,  and  hardwood  dro^Dpers. 
The  total  lineal  measurement  of  these  fences  is 
equal  to  72  English  miles. 

The  Azul  stream  traverses  the  estate  longitudinally, 
and  supplies  most  of  the  paddocks  with  excellent 
water ;  and  in  those  paddocks  where  the  river  does 
not  enter,  there  are  wells  provided  with  chain  pumps, 
which  give  an  abundant  supply  of  water  to  the 
stock.  The  land  is  in  parts  drained  by  surface 
ditches.  The  soil  is  a  rich  black  loam,  and  the 
pastures  are  well  covered  with  the  finer  qualities  of 
grasses,  including  the  Italian  rye,  wild  oat,  trefoil, 
etc. 

There  are  over  20,000  sheep  run  upon  this 
estancia.  The  orig-inal  stock  was  of  cross  Earn- 
bouillet  descent,  including  a  stud  flock  of  the  same 
blood.  Since  1882  Senor  Pereda  has  limited  him- 
self to  the  long -wool  on  the  "  Isabel,"  including 
among  other  purchases  an  importation  of  pure 
Lincoln  ew^es,  and  the  introduction  of  two  entire 
flocks  from  Messrs,  Gibson's  estancia.  There  exists 
to-day  a  valuable  Lincoln  stud  of  some  250  ewes, 
notable  for  the  silkiness  and  lustre  of  their  fleeces. 


224  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

The  rams  bred  here   sell   at   from  £3  to   £10  each, 
the  supply  being  less  than  the  demand. 

The  stock-carrying  capacity  of  "  La  Isabel  "is  as 
follows  : — 

Sheep 20,000  head. 

Cattle 3,400     „ 

Horses  and  Mares  .  .  .  750     ,, 

Being  the  equivalent  of  2 '80  sheep  per  acre. 

The  estancia  is  provided  with  a  commodious 
head  station,  including  spacious  shedding  for  the 
fine  stock,  dipping  plant,  extensive  plantations  of 
eucalyptus,  acacia,  and  other  trees,  and  25  acres 
of  lucern  for  winter  fodder. 

Returns. 

JFooL 

Average  per  liead  from  Lincoln  Stud       .  .  .  9  "3 3  lbs. 

„     13,000  Lincolns  .  .  5-64  „ 

,,     7,000  RamboLiillets      .  .  5-21   „ 

General    average    per    head    on    everytl)ing    that 

enters  the  shearing  yard,  exclusive  of  lambs       .  5"40  „ 

Value  of  Wool. 

In  1893  the  "  Isabel  "  wool  fetched  the  following  in  the  Buenos 
Aires  market  : — ^Lincoln  cross  from  6|d.  to  6|d.  per  lb. ; 
Rambouillet,  6d.  per  lb. 

Prices  oUainecl  for  Stock. 

Lincoln  tups,  from        .          .  .       £3  to  £10  each. 

„        cross  wethers,  from.         13s.  6d.  to  16s.  each. 

"  Manantiales."  —  This  picturesque  estancia  is 
situated  on  the  slopes  of  the  Azul  chain  of  rocky 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


hills.  The  soil  is  rich  in  parts,  and  though  clothed 
at  present  with  coarse  vegetation  the  softer  grasses 
are  increasing  and  the  land  is  attaining  valuable 
grazing  properties.  The  hill -side  streams,  at  one 
time  the  cradle  of  the  fatal  fluke-worm  {Distoma 
hepdtico),  are  now  subdued  by  dams,  and  the 
parasite  occasions  little  disaster  in  the  flocks.  The 
water  supply,  in  such  a  situation,  is  of  course 
excellent.  Surface -draining  has  been  carried  on 
extensively,  and  there  now  exist  over  65  lineal  miles 
of  ditching.  The  result  of  this  systematic  drainage 
has  been  the  redemption  of  innumerable  stagnant 
pools,  at  one  time  very  hot-beds  of  fluke,  and  to- 
day converted  into  excellent  pasture-land.  Apropos 
of  this  subject  Mr.  Pereda  makes  the  following  im- 
portant observations  : — 

"  The  existence  of  these  quagmires  may  be 
explained  in  the  following  manner  :  —  The  rain- 
water, seeking  its  natural  level,  precipitates  itself 
into  the  hollows  of  the  land,  and  findino-  no  exit 
thence,  becomes  stagnant,  assisted  by  simple  filtra- 
tion in  producing  these  unwholesome  bogs  and  pools. 
The  remedy  for  this  evil  is  to  provide  an  exit  for 
the  water,  which  is  what  I  myself  have  carried  out. 
The  result  of  so  simple  an  operation  is  evident  this 
present  year.  The  ravages  made  by  the  fluke  in 
the  Tandil  and  Azul  highlands  have  extended  to  a 
mortality  of  from  50  to  60  per  cent  among  the  flocks, 
including  those  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of 
'  Manantiales.'      Upon  my  estancia  the  parasite  has 

Q 


226  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

done  no  damao-e  whatever,  and  I  attribute  this 
entirely  to  the  drainage  scheme  I  have  carried  out ; 
justified  in  thinking  so  by  the  fact  that  no  run 
sufi'ered  more  from  this  scourge  than  did  ours  ten 
years  ago.  According  to  the  opinion  of  competent 
people  whom  I  have  consulted,  and  works  I  have 
read,  prevention  is  the  sole  method  we  have  for 
combating  this  plague,  and  the  present  case  proves 
that  theory  is  in  harmony  with  practice.  In  order 
to  combat  the  various  classes  of  worm  which  exact 
such  a  severe  annual  tribute  from  our  flocks  in  the 
south-eastern  lands,  we  must  declare  war  without 
quarter  against  all  stagnant  pools,  hollows,  quagmires, 
and  marshes ;  and  where  unable  to  drain  them  we 
must  fence  them  off;  and  for  the  water  supply  of 
our  herds  we  must  limit  ourselves  exclusively  to 
running -streams  and  ivells."  These  well-timed 
remarks,  the  outcome  of  an  educational  experience, 
are  of  great  importance  ;  and  it  is  for  this  reason 
that  I  have  quoted  them  in  full. 

In  "  Manantiales,"  as  in  the  "  Isabel,"  there  is  a 
valuable  stud  flock  of  Lincoln  ewes  of  pure  descent 
and  notable  type.  Both  Lincoln  cross  and  Ram- 
bouillet  sheep  are  run  upon  the  land,  the  former 
finding  preference  in  the  eyes  of  the  owner,  who  is 
gradually  drafting  out  his  fine-wools  to  his  western 
estates. 

The  following  is  the  stock -carrying  capacity  of 
*'  Manantiales  "  : — 


TofcLce/poffe  227. 


''IS    DE    Abril" 

PEB  U  Ad  6 

J^ror'irLce  of ^izenos  Aires 


Notes 

Area  -  JS.  ZOO  Aecfares 

1 .  Stea/iui^,  Ihrds  etc^. 

2.  Gardens,  Tyhod,  elc< 

3 .  Ji^^  -uriih.  cTiajjv- pumps. 
t  ^^cMle  Ihrds. 

5  X/zicer7v 

6  SttB  statbOTva 


03 


03 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  227 

Area — 14,173  acres. 

Sheep 10,600  head. 

Cattle 4,200    „ 

Horses  and  Mares        ....    800    „ 

Being  the  equivalent  of  2*62  sheep  per  acre. 

The  estate  carries  40  miles  of  wire  fencing,  being 
divided  into  ten  paddocks  of  areas  varying  from  400 
to  2000  acres.  There  are  20  acres  of  lucern  for  the 
special  forage  of  fine  stock.  The  estancia  is  con- 
veniently near  the  thriving  town  of  Azul,  and  does  a 
good  business  in  providing  for  local  consumption. 

Returns. 
JFool 
Average  per  head  from  Lincoln  Stud  .  .  .   9'11  lbs. 

,,  ,,  6000  Lincolns        .  .  .  5*21    „ 

„  „  4,600  Eambouillets         .  .   4-30    „ 


1893. 


Prices  ohtained  for  Stock. 

Lincoln  tups  from  £4  to  £12  each. 

,,       cross  wethers  from  12s.  to  14s.  each. 
No  female  progeny  is  sold  from  this  or  the  "  Isabel "  estancia, 
the  culls  being  drafted  to  other  estates  for  breeding  purposes. 

"  Trece  de  Abril." — A  sketch  plan  of  this  is  sub- 
joined, which  serves  to  convey  a  general  idea  of  the 
division  of  land  on  the  paddock  system. 

Here  we  have  land  of  a  description  totally 
different  from  that  in  the  south  and  east  of  the 
Province  of  Buenos  Aires.      The  "  Trece  de  Abril " 


Vahie  of  JFool. 

Buenos  Aires  Market.     Lincoln 

6jd.  per  lb. 

Lambs'  Wool 

5fd.      „ 

Rambouillet 

5|d.      „ 

THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


is  situated  in  the  west  of  the  Province,  some  20 
miles  from  the  town  of  Pehuajo.  The  land  is  high 
and  of  a  sandy  character,  entirely  devoid  of  marshes 
and  lagoons.  The  water  supply  is  obtained  from 
surface  wells  of  considerable  length  and  width,  and 
of  little  profundity.  The  object  is  to  tap  the  surface 
water,  which  is  abundant,  and  avoid  sinking  too  low 
for  fear  of  meeting  the  brackish  substrata.  The  land 
is  favourable  for  agriculture  and  arboriculture.  The 
rainfall  is  increasing  annually ;  and  this  district, 
^Tested  but  ten  short  years  ago  from  the  savage,  is 
rapidly  developing  into  a  grand  pastoral  and  agri- 
cultural territory. 

The  principal  industry  in  this  estate  is  that  of 
cattle -raising ;  but  there  are  also  to  be  found  5000 
head  of  Lincoln  cross  sheep,  which  number  might  be 
increased  to  20,000  without  removing  a  single  cow 
from  the  land. 

The  following  is  the  present  stock-carrying  capa- 
city of  the  "  13  de  Abril  "  :— 

Area — 40,014  acres. 

Sheep 5,000  head. 

Cattle 10,500    „ 

Horses  and  Mares         .  .  .  1,600    „ 

Being  equivalent  to  I'll  shee])  per  acre. 

The  estancia  is  divided  into  fifteen  paddocks,  there 
being  55  miles  of  fencing  upon  the  estate.  There 
are  already  140  acres  laid  down  in  lucern  for  cutting 
and  providing  winter  fodder. 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  229 


Eeturns. 

Wool. 

Average  per  head  from  Lincoln  Stud 

.   8-05  lbs. 

„              ,,             5000  Lincolns 

.   5-97,, 

Value  of  JFool. 

1893.  Buenos  Aires  Market.     Fleeces 

6^d.  to  6Jd.  per  lb. 

Lambs'  Wool 

U4U.    „    ,, 

The  above  figures  show  the  efiect  of  healthy  high 
lands  upon  the  bleaters,  the  average  return  per  head 
being  superior  to  that  of  the  home  estates,  though 
the  sheep  in  the  latter  are  of  a  superior  class.  The 
Lincoln  stud  counts  400  head. 

^^ Nueva  Castilla''  and  "  San]  BaldomeroJ' — I 
group  these  two  estates  together  as  belonging  to  the 
same  region,  which  still  remains  little  exjDloited  by 
the  pastoral  pioneer.  Their  united  area  amounts 
to  98,800  acres,  and  though  scarcely  deserving  of 
classification  as  sheep  land,  being  at  present  partly 
devoted  to  agriculture  and  partly  to  cattle -raising, 
they  have  before  them  a  future  in  the  sheep  industry 
which  entitles  them  to  some  notice. 

In  his  interesting  description  of  this  land,  Mr. 
Pereda  says : — "  These  two  estancias  are  situated 
some  15  miles  from  the  town  of  Trenque  Lauquen,  in 
the  far  west  of  the  Province  of  Buenos  Aires.  In  the 
year  1884,  when  we  first  stocked -up,  these  lands 
were  quite  savage,  we  being  the  first  to  run  cattle  in 
that  district.  Ao-riculture  and  arboriculture  find  an 
excellent  field  here,  though  I  can  scarcely  recommend 
a  too  generous  development  of  the  former  industry 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


in  a  territory  but  little  trod  down  by  cattle.  In 
former  years  the  rainfall  was  very  limited,  but  at 
present  there  is  a  notable  increase  in  this  respect, 
which  I  scarcely  know  whether  to  attribute  to  a 
passing  chance  phenomenon,  or  to  an  atmospheric- 
transformation  brought  about  by  the  increasing 
density  of  stock  and  land  culture.  Scab  here  is 
almost  unknown,  a  circumstance  which  I  attribute  to 
the  aridity  of  the  atmosphere  and  to  the  large  area 
enjoyed  by  every  sheep.  In  conclusion,  I  would 
state  that  in  my  opinion  what  is  most  necessary  to 
a  rapid  progress  here  and  an  increasing  income,  is  the 
supply  of  labour,  and  I  refer  to  that  class  of  labourer 
who  comes  zealous  to  work  in  the  field,  disabused  of 
the  idea  that  he  is  a  lord  of  this  primitive  creation 
and  deserving  of  making  a  fortune  in  a  week.  Our 
Pampa  responds  willingly  to  him  who  works  soberly 
and  economically,  and  in  a  short  time  the  pioneer 
will  find  himself  an  independent  man ;  and  when 
fortune  is  not  untoward,  the  immigrant,  who  arrived 
but  yesterday  ill-clad  and  penniless,  soon  finds  himself 
transformed  into  a  man  of  capital." 

One -half  of  the  two  estates  is  let  to  colonists; 
the  other  half,  viz.  49,400  acres,  is  stocked  by  Mr. 
Pereda,  and  at  present  carries  10,000  sheep,  4400 
cattle,  and  1200  horses  and  mares.  The  sheep  are  all 
of  Rambouillet  breed,  and  originate  from  the  *'  Isabel  " 
and  "  Manantiales  "  estancias.  Here  they  are  free  of 
foot-rot  and  other  plagues  bred  in  a  humid  climate. 
The  stud   Piambouillet  flock    brought  here  in   1890, 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  231 

and  whose  origin  is  classic,  thrives  wondrously. 
Pomeranian  rams  have  been  imported  for  its  service, 
and  the  wool  return  tells  its  own  tale.  Rams  bred 
here  give  from  20  to  26  lbs.  The  general  Rambouillet 
stud  gives  8-41  lbs.  per  head.  In  1891  40,000 
sheep  shorn  here  gave  an  all-round  average  of 
4*67  lbs.  This  present  year  the  wool  from  these  tw^o 
estates  fetched  an  all-round  price  in  the  Buenos 
Aires  markets  of  from  Sjd.  to  5f d.  per  lb. 

We  have  in  the  foregoing  paragraphs  a  description 
of  five  different  estates,  embracing  every  description 
of  soil,  from  the  low  moist  lauds  of  the  south  to  the 
sandy  arid  uplands  in  the  west.  We  have  also  a 
confirmation  of  a  statement  made  elsewhere  in  this 
work,  viz.  that  there  are  to  be  found  in  the  Province 
of  Buenos  Aires  pastures  on  which  the  Lincolns  and 
other  long- wools  thrive,  and  pastures  upon  which  the 
Rambouillets  and  other  merinos  readily  acclimatise. 
This  mixed  capacity  of  the  Buenos  Aires  territory  is 
one  of  great  moment.  Analysing  the  wool  returns 
provided  by  Mr.  Pereda,  which  correspond  to  common 
sheep  in  their  greater  part,  we  have  the  following  : — 

20,000  sheep  at  the  "  Isabel,"  giving  an  av.  of  5*40  lbs.  per  head. 
10,600      „  „     "  Manantiales"         „  4-82 

5,000      „         „     "Abril"  „         5-97       „ 

40,000      „  „     "  N.  Castilla,"  etc.  „         4-67 

75,600  4-97 


This  wool  has  fetched  an  all-round  5fd.  in  the 
Buenos  Aires  markets. 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


"  Las  Barrancas." 

This  estancia  was  acquired  some  fifteen  years 
ago  by  Mr.  Patrick  Reid,  at  one  time  the  manager  of 
the  "  Espartillar,"  a  description  of  which  precedes  the 
present  pages.  "Las  Barrancas"  is  managed  by  Mr. 
James  M'C.  Reid,  the  son  of  the  owner,  and  to  whom 
1  am  indebted  for  the  material  of  the  following  brief 
sketch. 

The  area  of  "Las  Barrancas"  is  one  and  three- 
Cjuarters  square  leagues  (11,676  acres).  The  estate 
is  picturesquely  situated  upon  the  winding  chain  of 
lakes  near  the  town  of  Chascomus,  and  some  eighty 
miles  to  the  south  of  the  city  of  Buenos  Aires.  The 
name  of  the  estancia  is  derived  from  the  lofty  banks 
which  in  places  rise  from  the  shore  of  these  lakes. 
The  soil  is  a  rich  black  loam,  attaining  a  great  pro- 
fundity in  places,  more  especially  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  lakes.  The  estate  is  almost  entirely  water-bound 
by  lagoons  and  streams.  The  natural  grasses  are 
of  the  best  qualities,  including  valuable  classes  of 
gramineas,  wild  oat  and  other  seeders,  trefoil  and  soft 
thistle. 

The  carrying  capacity  of  the  estancia  is  as 
follows : — 

Sheep    ......  19,500  head. 

Cattle 2,500    „ 

Horses  and  Mares  .         .         .         .  200    ,, 

Bei7ig  equivalent  to  2  "8  6  sheep  per  acre. 


I 


IX  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  233 


Mr.  Eeid  adds,  aiwopos  of  this  subject : — "  I  give 
you  a  count  of  the  actual  stock  upon  '  Las  Barrancas,' 
as  it  is  to-day.  I  often  run  more  sheep,  though  I 
generally  keep  sheep  stock  at  about  12,000  to  the 
square  league,"  exclusive  of  cattle  and  horses. 

"Las  Barrancas"  is,  by  reason  of  its  comparatively 
limited  area  and  the  valuable  character  of  the  stock 
it  carries,  a  model  sheep-run.  The  appointments  of 
the  head  station,  the  division  of  the  land  into 
paddocks,  and  the  general  administration  of  the 
estate  are  all  of  a  class  and  system,  the  natural 
outcome  of  an  intelligent  and  experienced  manage- 
ment. The  breeds  of  the  estancia  are  deservedly 
popular  in  the  local  markets.  The  demand  for  the 
l^roduce  of  this  estancia  can  be  sufficiently  illustrated 
by  the  fact  that  sire-buying  breeders  complain  annually 
that  they  have  "arrived  too  late." 

There  are  a  limited  number  of  fine-wools,  all 
claiming  descent  from  the  French  Rambouillet.  This 
class  of  sheep  is  reduced  to  a  quantity  sufficient  to 
supply  the  usual  clients  of  the  estancia. 

The  majority  of  the  sheep  are  Lincoln,  and  include 
two  valuable  stud  flocks  of  practically  pure  origin, 
and  of  a  useful  evenly-fleeced  type.  Both  in  the 
merino  and  the  long-wooUed  stock  Mr.  Reid  has  been 
a  successful  competitor  in  the  local  exhibitions,  and 
has  carried  off  several  prizes.  The  tups  offered  for 
sale  are  characterised  by  their  even  quality  and  oood 
preparation. 

I    have    not    been    supplied    with    average    wool 


234  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

returns,    but  the    following   are   the    minimum    and 
maximum  fleeces  of  the  "  Barrancas  "  stock  : — 

Eeturns. 

Wool 
Eambouillet        ....     from  5|  to  13  lbs. 
Lincoln      .  .  .          .          .        ,,     5|    „   18    „ 

These  wools  wash  out  as  follows  : — 

Lincoln  No.  1  .  .  .  .  55  per  cent. 

2  48 

Eambouillet  No.  1   .  .  .  .  42        „ 

J,  Merino  .  .  .  40        „ 

Value  of  Wool. 

The  "Barrancas"  fleece  wool  has  fetched  in  1893,  in  the 
English  market,  8d.  and  8|d.  per  lb. 

Increase  realised  per  cent. 
Exclusive  of  home  consumption  .  28  per  cent. 

Prices  obtained  for  stock. 
Eambouillet  tups          .  .  .  £3  to  £5  each. 

Lincoln  ,,  .  .  .  £4  ,,  £25    „ 

Wethers. — Most  of  these  are  exported.     The  tail-end 
of  the  two-shear  lot  was  sold  locally  in  1892  at  14s. 
Culls  ....        from  10s.  6d.  to  14s.  each. 

The  "  Barrancas  "  estancia,  though  youthful  by  the 
side  of  most  other  typical  estates  of  high  standard, 
has  already  acquired  a  deserved  notoriety.  Were  it 
my  mission  at  the  present  time  to  treat  of  either 
cattle  or  horses  in  conjunction  with  the  sheep  industry 
of  the  Argentine,  this  estancia  could  show  equally 
creditable  results  in  either  species. 


Interior  of  the  "Curamalan  "  Shearing  Shed.        To  pee  jmge  2^0 


in  the  argentine  republic  235 

The  "Curamalan"  Estate. 

This  vast  estancia  is  situated  in  the  south  of  the 
Province  of  Buenos  Aires,  at  the  foot  of  the 
Ventana  range  of  hills,  and  distant  some  sixty 
miles  from  the  seaport  and  town  of  Bahia  Blanca. 
Its  area  exceeds  700,000  acres,  and  it  at  present 
carries  about  300,000  head  of  sheep,  50,000  head  of 
cattle,  and  18,000  head  of  horses  and  mares.  There 
are  three  colonies  upon  the  estate,  each  with  its  centre 
of  population,  and  comprising  in  all  a  cultivated  area 
of  160,000  acres.  These  colonies  are  worked  by 
Russian,  Italian,  and  French  immigrants,  and  are 
already  turning  out  huge  quantities  of  grain.  To 
undertake  a  general  description  of  this  great  rural 
organisation  would  require  more  pages  than  I  can 
devote  to  the  subject,  and,  however  interesting  such 
a  task  would  be  to  me,  and  possibly  to  the  reader, 
I  must  perforce  limit  myself  to  the  sheej)  department. 

The  analysis  of  the  sheep  stock,  as  given  in  the 
annual  report  for  31st  March  1892,  shows  the  fol- 
lowing divisions  of  class  : — 

125  pure  Lincoln  ewes  and  hoggets. 
63  pure  Lincoln  rams. 
1,995  cross-bred  Lincoln  rams. 
300  cross-bred  Lincoln  ram  lambs. 
254,611  general  sheep. 

All  the  stock  has  a  Lincoln  strain  of  blood  in  it, 
and  the  system  pursued  in  breeding  is  to  combine 
wool  with  mutton  by  introducing  Lincoln  blood  into 
the  mestizo-merino  sheep. 


236  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

The  comparison  of  stock-taking  for  1891  and  1892 
shows  a  satisfactory  increase. 

Count  of  sheep,  31st  March  1891—231,058  head. 

Sales  from  1st  April  1891  to  31st  March  1892  .  .       24,306 

Count  of  sheep,  31st  March  1892       ....    257,094 


281,400 
Less  stock  bought  during  year  .  .  .  .  277 


281,123 


Increase,  50,065  head;  or  say  2 If  per  cent. 

The  sales  of  the  year  included  14,306  head  of 
butcher  stock,  and  the  average  price  for  the  whole 
amount  all  round  ascended  to  six  shillings.  The 
result  of  the  present  year  promises  to  be  equally 
good,  no  less  than  305,000  head  having  entered  the 
shearing  yard. 

I  quote  the  following  from  a  recent  number  of  the 
River  Plate  Spoilt  and  Pastime,  which  dedicated  a 
few  of  its  columns  to  a  description  of  "  Curamalan." 

"  The  land  is  very  suitable  for  bleaters,  and  the 
wool  of  the  Curamalan  flocks  is  always  eagerly  sought 
after  by  the  buyers.  There  are  130  imported  Lincoln 
ewes  for  breeding  rams  for  use  in  the  flocks,  and 
beside  those  already  used  by  the  Company,  50  more 
imported  Lincoln  rams  were  received  from  England 
this  spring,  everything  being  done  to  improve  the 
quality  of  the  flocks.  The  sheep  are  all  in  first-rate 
condition,  and  there  is  little  or  no  scab  amongst  them. 
One  lot  of  130  Lincoln  rams,  in  a  j^addock  near  the 
house,  showed  the   class  of  tups  used,  which  is  the 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  237 


best  obtainable.     These  rams  appreciated  thoroughly 

a  long  shelter  in  their  paddock,  by  which  they  were 

protected  from  the  fierce  rays  of  the  sun.     Last  year, 

I  believe,  the   Curamalan  wool  fetched  the  hio-hest 

prices   in  the  market ;  and  this  year  it  has  fetched 

between  $7  and  $S"  (Sjd.  to  G^d.  per  lb.),  "some 

650,000kilos"(l,410,500lbs.)"havinglefttheestancia. 

The  shearing  goes  on  in  three  different  stations,  the 

principal  shearing  shed,  which  is  some  3  miles  from 

the  headquarters,  being  considered  the  finest  one  in  the 

country.    A  hundred  men  can  work  in  it  comfortably ; 

a  few  machines  were  tried  this  year  for  the  first  time 

as  an  experiment,  and  having  been  successful  they 

will   probably   be  used   largely   next   year.     In  the 

centre  of  the  shed  await  the  sheep  to  be  shorn ;  they 

are  divided  into  a  dozen  or  more  lots  by  sliding  gates, 

which  are  let  down  when  the  shed  is  full  of  sheep, 

and  so  prevent  crowding.     The  flocks  are  conducted 

into  the   shed  in  the  first  instance  by  one  or  two 

trained    sheep,    who    work    splendidly,    and    save   a 

great  deal  of  trouble  by  filling  the  shed  the  minute  it 

is  empty,  and  as  soon  as  the  door  is  opened. 

"  Each  shearer  works  opposite  a  numbered  door, 
leading  into  a  race  outside,  which  has  a  corresponding 
number,  and  in  to  which  he  puts  his  sheep  as  soon  as 
it  is  shorn,  so  that  when  a  flock  is  finished  all  that 
has  to  be  done  is  to  count  the  shorn  sheep  in  these 
divisions,  and  credit  each  shearer  with  the  number 
standing  in  his  corresponding  race.  In  this  way  the 
work   goes  on   like  clockwork,   as   indeed   it   would 


238  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

require  to  do  when  the  enormous  number  of  sheep 
shorn  in  a  season  is  considered.  Above  the  shed  is  a 
large  store  for  wool,  which  is  reached  by  an  outside 
staircase,  which  also  forms,  by  an  ingenious  arrange- 
ment of  its  sides,  a  shoot  for  the  bales  of  wool. 

"  Another  labour  and  time-saving  apparatus  is 
the  sheep-dip,  for  which  clever  invention  Mr.  Thomas 
Hearne,  one  of  the  head  overseers,  who  has  been  at 
Curamalan  since  the  property  first  came  into  the 
hands  of  Mr.  Casey,  is  responsible.  The  apparatus 
consists  of  a  platform,  raised  a  few  feet  off  the 
ground  at  the  end  of  the  bath,  and  on  to  w^hich  the 
sheep  to  be  dipped  are  driven  until  it  is  full.  The 
platform  is  hinged  and  balanced  at  its  centre,  so  that 
it  can  easily  be  tipped  up  when  full  of  sheep,  and  a 
door  leading  into  the  bath  being  opened,  the  sheep 
drop  one  by  one,  without  any  assistance,  down  into 
the  bath.  When  the  platform  is  empty  it  again 
becomes  horizontal,  is  again  filled  with  sheep  in  a  few 
seconds,  and  so  on.  In  this  way  three  men  with  a 
dog  can  dip  eight  or  nine  thousand  sheep  in  a  day, 
and  do  more  work  than  it  would  take  six  or  seven 
men  to  get  through.  To  realise  the  expeditious 
manner  in  which  sheep  can  be  dipped  by  Mr. 
Hearne's  method,  the  apparatus  must  be  seen  at 
work,  when  its  superiority  over  other  methods  is 
apparent  at  once." 

The  capital  invested  in  cattle  is  about  90  per 
cent  of  that  invested  in  sheep,  and  the  capital  in- 
vested in  horses  is  90  per  cent  of  that  in  cattle ;  but 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  239 

an  analysis  of  the  returns  from  each  class  of  stock 
shows  that  the  sheep  are  the  golden  givers.  I  will 
leave  aside  the  horses,  as  it  is  not  so  easy  to  arrive 
at  their  return,  many  of  them  being  used  for  the 
colonies,  etc. ,  where  they  occasion  a  profit  not  credited 
to  them  in  the  balance  sheets.  But  dealing;  with 
cattle  and  sheep,  taking  the  Company's  valuations, 
taking  land  at  40,000  national  dollars  per  square 
league,  and  calculating  10,000  sheep  to  a  clean 
league,  or  2000  cattle  to  the  same  area,  hut  not 
together,  we  have  the  following  results,  into  which 
working  expenses  do  not  enter : — 

Nat.  dols. 
Land  required  for  257,094  sheep,  say  25y^  sq. 

leagues  at  S40,000 1,028,000 

257,094  sheep  valued  in 1,262,949  50 


2,290,949  50 
Stated  profits  for  1891-1892  from  sales  of  wool, 

skins,  and  live  stock  ....      996,440  31 

Being  i^\ per  cent  upon  capital. 

Nat.,  dols. 
Land  required    for  43,637  cattle,  say  21-j-§  sq. 

leagues  at  S40,000 872,000 

43,637  cattle  valued  in 1,078,297 


1,950,297 


Stated  profits  for  1891-1892  from  sales  of  hides 

and  live  stock 120,063  84 

Being  about  6-2%-  per  cent  upon  capital. 

Though  undoubtedly  the  working  expenses  in 
managing  sheep  are  much  more  than  in  managing 
cattle,   it  is  nevertheless  apparent   that  the  former 


240  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

stock  give  much  more  for  the  grass  they  eat  than  the 
latter. 

The  "  Curamalan  "  estate  was  acquired  in  a  conces- 
sion from  Government  by  Mr.  Edward  Casey  and 
others  some  fifteen  years  ago.  At  that  time  the 
lands  in  the  south  of  the  Province  of  Buenos  Aires 
were  but  little  known  and  stocked-up,  the  frequent 
raids  of  the  Indians  making  the  life  of  the  breeder  a 
dangerous  one,  and  exposing  him  to  having  his  stock 
stolen  and  his  houses  burned.  The  change  wrought 
in  a  decade  is  one  that  almost  appears  to  border  on 
the  territory  of  dreamland.  The  Great  Southern 
Kailway  trunk  line  goes  through  the  estancia,  and 
there  are  no  less  than  four  stations  on  the  estate — the 
time  taken  by  the  passenger  trains  to  traverse  this 
magnificent  possession  being  two  hours.  Kound 
these  railway  stations  there  cluster  the  villages  where 
the  colonists  live,  with  fine  buildings  of  brick  and 
mortar,  schools,  churches,  hotels,  shops,  and  mills. 
The  little  stream  of  commerce  begun  in  1883  is  be- 
coming a  mighty  river.  Woods  are  springing  up 
round  the  steadings.  The  head  station,  from  which 
the  estate  is  managed,  is  connected  with  the  sub- 
stations by  telephone,  and  the  electric  bell  in  some 
distant  overseer's  house  rings  him  up  to  tell  him  that 
the  manager,  thirty  miles  away,  desires  to  have  the 
cattle  mobbed  in  the  morning.  "  Curamalan  "  is  now 
in  the  hands  of  a  company,  and  if  the  directors  pursue 
the  wise  policy  they  at  present  profess,  the  estate  is 
destined  to  become  one  of  the  most  successful  enter- 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  241 

prises  in  the  Argentine,  alike  beneficial  to  the  share- 
holder and  the  country  in  which  his  capital  is  in- 
vested. 

To  summarise  the  foregoing  pages.  We  find  that 
eight  estancias,  with  a  total  of  193,341  acres,  carry 
the  following  stock  : — 

Sheep  .          .  .   254,100 

Cattle  .  .  .     42,600 

Horses  and  Mares  .        7,650 

Being  an  all-round  average  equivalent  of  2*69  sheep  per  acre. 

The  return  per  head  from  these  254,100  sheep 
has  been  6'03  lbs.  of  unwashed  wool. 

The  average  increase,  exclusive  of  all  mortality 
and  home  consumption,  is  22  per  cent.  But  few  of 
the  breeders  have  supplied  statistics  in  this  respect, 
and  it  is  the  writer's  opinion  that  the  average  increase 
would  be  more  correctly  stated  at  26  per  cent. 

Taking  the  compute  of  these  estancias  it  is  evi- 
dently the  custom  to  divide  the  stock  as  follows  : — 
for  every  6  sheep  1  cow,  and  for  every  35  sheep  and 
6  cows  1  horse. 

The  fine  wools  average  a  net  price  of  5d.  to  S-jd. 
this  year  in  Buenos  Aires,  and  the  long  wools  from 
5|d.  to  6|d.  Wools  sold  in  Liver^Dool  and  London 
have  varied  from  8d.  to  9d.  j^er  lb. 

The  demand  for  two-shear  long-woolled  wethers 
is  apparent,  14s.  to  16s.  being  the  general  price 
quoted.  That  for  merino  wethers  and  culls  is  also 
good,  varying  from  9s.  to  lis.  6d. 

K 


242  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

Taking  to-day's  prices  of  land,  stock,  and  working 
expenses,  and  the  returns  as  shown  in  the  preceding 
pages,  it  would  be  an  easy  matter  to  draw  up  a 
prospectus  for  a  very  safe  and  lucrative  investment. 

EsTANCiA  '•'  Los  Yngleses." 

The  task  of  writing  a  history  of  the  foundation  of 
the  estancia  "  Los  Yngieses,"  and  of  the  ups  and 
downs  in  the  sheep-breeding  industry  there,  becomes 
a  labour  of  love  to  one  whose  own  life  is  so  intimately 
connected  with  it,  and  who  has  at  his  command  such  a 
quantity  of  data  and  old  archives  that  there  is  more 
danger  of  excess  in  detail  than  insufficiency  in  the 
colUiboration.  From  these  pages  too  it  will  be  seen 
that  though  there  have  been  seasons  of  trial  and  re- 
verses, they  have  ever  been  followed  by  years  of 
success ;  that  through  the  many  changes  that  have 
taken  place  in  the  country  from  the  first  years  of  the 
Independence  the  pastoral  pioneer  has  progressed 
steadily  ;  and  that  this  "  South  American  Republic  " 
has  never  been  quite  so  deserving  of  its  fame  among 
Europeans  as  a  hot-bed  of  revolutions  and  assassina- 
tion as  it  obtains  credit  for.  Possibly  the  story  of 
seventy  years  on  an  Australian  sheep-run  would  be 
more  full  of  disaster  and  failure  than  this  chapter  on 
the  history  of  a  Eiver  Plate  "  estancia." 

Mr.  John  Gibson  junior,  the  first  member  of  the 
family  to  come  to  the  River  Plate,  sailed  from 
England  towards  the  close  of  1818,  landing  in  Buenos 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  243 

Aires  early  in  the  following  year.  The  importance 
of  the  cattle-breeding  industry  and  the  magnificent 
qualities  of  the  pasture-land  soon  attracted  his  atten- 
tion, and  by  1825  he  had  acquired  five  estancias. 
One  of  these  was  shortly  afterwards  sold  to  Messrs. 
Rol^ertson,  who  founded  there  the  famous  Scotch 
colony,  and  later  on  resold  the  land  to  Mr.  William 
Fair.  But  the  only  estancia  with  which  we  have  to  do 
at  present  is  the  "  Yngieses,"  which  w^as  bought  from 
a  Senor  Hidalgo  in  May  1825.  The  land  had  been 
first  stocked  and  built  on  by  one  Esteven  Marquez  in 
1810,  who  transferred  it  to  Hidalgo,  knowing  that 
the  latter  was  acting  as  "  middle  man  "  in  the  matter 
because  he  could  not  bring  himself  to  sell  directly  to 
a  "  gringo  "  (foreigner).  At  the  time  of  the  purchase 
in  1825  the  amount  of  the  produce  in  hand  was  15 
cow-hides  and  a  bao-  of  tallow  fat. 

Two  months  later  Mr.  Richard  Newton,  whose 
name  has  been  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  book,  and 
who  was  at  that  time  general  "  camp  "  manager  for 
John  Gibson  and  Sons,  came  to  the  "  Ynoleses" — the 
"  Carmen,"  it  was  then  called — to  take  over  the 
stock.  In  the  list  of  stores  sent  down  to  him  at  that 
date  figure  gunpowder,  two  cannons,  eight  muskets, 
twenty  sabres,  lead  and  stone  cannon  balls ; — in  such 
a  belligerent  fashion  had  the  stocking  of  outside  lands 
to  be  carried  on  in  those  early  years !  He  only  re- 
mained here  a  few  months,  returnino-  to  take  cliaro-e  of 
an  estancia  on  the  San  Borombon  river  in  January 
1826.     It  was  at  that  date  that  he  wrote  the  letter 


244  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

which  has  already  been  alluded  to,  in  which  he  speaks 
of  "  our  plan  of  paddocks,"  an  idea  of  dividing  the 
land  by  means  of  ditches  and  rails,  which  fore- 
stalled the  introduction  of  wire  fences  by  twenty 
years. 

The  estancia  "  Carmen,"  better  known  as  the 
"  Rincdn  del  Tuyu,"  and  since  1835  as  "Los 
Yngleses,"  is  situated  in  the  Department  of  Aj<5, 
Province  of  Buenos  Aires,  in  the  vicinity  of  Cape  San 
Antonio.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  River 
Plate,  and  its  east  and  west  boundaries  are  two  creeks 
which  run  into  the  Bay  of  San  Borombon,  as  this  part 
of  the  coast-line  of  the  River  Plate  is  termed.  Upon 
the  west  creek,  and  ten  miles  from  the  mouth  follow- 
ino-  the  tortuous  windinos  is  situated  the  town  of 
General  Lavalle  or  Ajo,  founded  in  1859,  which 
is  well  known  for  its  beef-salting  factories,  the  j)ro- 
perty  of  Luro  Brothers,  where  they  slaughter  up  to 
100,000  head  of  cattle  per  year. 

The  original  area  of  the  estancia  was  28,356  acres, 
with  a  ffrazinsf  right  to  all  the  land  contained  between 
the  north  boundary,  the  creeks  already  mentioned, 
and  the  River  Plate.  This  was  subsec[uently  measured 
and  bought  in  from  Government,  brinoino-  the  area 
up  to  68,352  acres,  of  which  Government  afterwards 
took  back  3300  acres  for  the  township  of  General 
Lavalle.  Fully  12,000  acres  of  the  northern  portion 
of  the  estate  are  useless  for  grazing  purposes ;  in- 
numerable muddy  creeks  traverse  this  section  in  all 
directions,  rendering  it  impossible  to  travel  over  it  on 


k 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  245 

horseback.  This  land  is  clothed  with  abundant  rank 
vegetation,  in  which  may  be  mentioned  a  plant  of 
the  gynerium  family  called  the  "  cortadero,"  whose 
graceful  tall  plumes,  ascendinp;  to  a  height  of 
over  six  feet,  give  beauty  to  this  wild  spot.  The 
ostrich  (rhea),  the  deer,  as  well  as  tiger  -  cats, 
possums,  flamingo,  swan,  and  an  infinity  of  wild-fowl, 
have  made  this  place  their  home.  The  cattle  occa- 
sionally find  their  way  in,  but  the  mosquitoes  and  the 
lack  of  fresh  water — the  creeks  being  tidal,  and  their 
water  salt  or  brackish — soon  drive  them  out  again. 
In  the  days  of  Governor  Rosas  this  impenetrable  spot 
was  the  home  of  more  than  one  deserter  or  marked 
man,  who  by  hiding  there  got  to  know  his  way  in 
amono'  the  treacherous  creeks,  and  who  at  nioht-time 
kindled  his  fire  in  a  hole  in  the  ground,  lest  the 
vioilant  scouts  should  see  the  lio-ht  and  track  him 
down. 

The  nature  of  the  land  is  low,  intersected  by 
marshy  lagoons,  whose  sluggish  waters  find  their  wav 
slowly  to  the  creeks  and  thence  to  the  ocean.  These 
lagoons  are  passable  at  all  times,  and  not  infrequently 
dry  up.  In  wet  seasons  they  overflow  their  natural 
limits  and  inundate  a  considerable  portion  of  the  land. 
Long  ridges  of  sandy  uplands,  called  "  medanos," 
divide  these  chains  of  swamp  from  one  another.  The 
land  is  in  many  places  wooded  with  indigenous  trees, 
including  the  "  tala,"  "  coronillo,"  and  wild  elder. 
In  places  under  this  shade,  where  the  prairie  dog  has 
upturned    the   earth,    there   are   still    to    be   found 


246  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  IxXDUSTRY 

porphyry  arrow  and  lance  heads,  and  pieces  of  orna- 
mented pottery,  the  relics  of  a  race  of  nomadic 
Indians  extinct  more  than  two  centuries  ao-o.^  The 
soil  is  sandy  in  the  uplands,  a  shallow  covering  of 
black  earth  in  the  intermediate  lands,  and  a  mixture 
of  clay  and  sand  in  the  hollows. 

The  chief  grasses  on  the  pasture-land  are  common 
and  Italian  rye  grasses,  with  other  ryes  of  a  hybrid 
class,  wild  oat,  medicago "  of  two  classes,  including 
the  rich  yellow  flowered  burr-bearing  M.  denticulato, 
a  species  of  clover,  fescues,  poas,  and  minor  grasses. 

The  climate  is  a  mild  one,  free  from  extremes  of 
either  heat  or  cold.  In  summer  the  temperature 
seldom  passes  90°  Fahr.  in  the  shade  ;  in  winter  it 
descends  during  the  night  to  as  low  as  28°  Fahr.,  but 
during  the  day  all  trace  of  ice  disappears.  The 
prevailing  winds  during  the  summer  are  from  the  E. 
and  N.E.,  and  in  winter  from  the  W.  and  S.W.  The 
most  harmful  wind  is  a  sou'-easter.  The  atmosphere 
is  a  humid  one,  and  there  are  heavy  dews  all  through 
the  year.  The  average  rainfall  is  82*65  centimetres, 
equal  to 32  "54  inches.  A  tableof  the  rainfall  isappended 
(pp.  264,  265),  by  which  it  will  be  seen  that  the  fall  is 
well  distributed  throughout  the  year.  The  proximity 
of  the  estancia  to  the  sea  accounts  for  the  peculiar 
properties  of  the  grasses,  rendering  the  sheep  at  all 
times  healthy,  and  giving  a  particular  lustre  to  the  wool. 

John  Gibson  was  joined  by  his  brother  George  in 
1823,  and  by  another  brother  Robert,  a  doctor,  who 

^  F.  iloreno.  -  Incorrectly  called  a  ti-efoil. 


IX  THE  ARGENTINE   REPUBLIC  247 

came  out  in  1827  to  practise,  but  ayIio  abandoned  bis 
profession  and  joined  the  others  in  their  business. 
John  Gibson  contracted  lung  disease  the  same  year, 
and  died  in  Gibraltar  in  1828  on  his  Avay  home. 
This  misfortune,  coming  as  it  did  at  a  critical  time 
in  the  commerce  of  the  Pdver  Plate,  determined  Mr. 
John  Gibson  senior  to  liquidate  out  of  a  country 
which  he  himself  had  never  visited,  and  he  instructed 
his  sons  George  and  Eobert  to  sell  off  the  lands. 
By  1834  they  had  disposed  of  all  the  estates  except 
the  "  Eincdn  del  Tuyu,"  possibly  because  this  estancia 
was  so  far  beyond  the  pale  of  civilisation  that  it  was 
difficult  to  find  a  buyer.  Part  of  the  San  Borombdn 
land  was  purchased  by  Mr.  Eichard  Newton,  and  is 
to-day  the  well-known  "Jagueles."  It  was  in 
February  1835,  whilst  on  a  visit  to  Mr.  Newton, 
that  George  Gibson  sailed  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Salado  river  and  visited  the  "  Tuyu  "  for  the  first  time. 
From  that  year  dates  the  history  of  sheep-breeding 
on  the  "  Yngleses." 

To  go  back  a  decade.  From  1825  to  1835  the 
only  business  was  the  breeding  of  cattle  and  horses. 
A  list  of  sales  made  from  the  "  Tuyu  "in  1826  and  the 
prices  then  obtaining,  is  interesting  : — 

1429  steers 
4400  calves 

184  cows 

121  horses 
50  two  year  olds 

171  one-year  olds 

119  mares 


uu  oi*,  e 

(|uai  I 

0    ODS. 

,,        8, 

55 

20s. 

„      12, 

5! 

30s. 

„     16, 

55 

40s. 

„        i, 

55 

10s. 

„        1, 

55 

2s.  Gd 

0 

55                  —5 

55 

OS. 

THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


The  stock  numbered  about  18,000  head  of  cattle 
and  3000  mares.  Sheep  were  utterly  disregarded, 
and  kept  solely  for  food.  Some  were  ear  -  marked, 
others  never  entered  the  yard  in  their  lives,  but  died 
with  the  wool  of  five  or  six  years  on  their  backs. 
The  whole  business  of  the  year  was  the  branding  of 
the  calves  and  foals,  and  the  making  up  of  troops  for 
the  market.  The  cattle  were  of  a  small  sturdy  class, 
with  immense  horns,  black  and  dun  in  colour,  and 
with  shaggy  coats.  Their  hides  were  thick  and  heavy. 
They  never  fattened  kindly,  and  the  beef  was  of  poor 
quality.  The  horses,  on  the  other  hand,  were  superior 
to  the  "  Creole "  of  to-day ;  and  whilst  the  sheep 
wandered  unshorn  and  the  cattle  remained  unimjDroved 
in  breeding,  the  gaucho  arose  long  before  dawn  to 
bring  up  the  horses  and  mares  to  the  yard,  there  to 
spend  the  whole  day  paring  their  hoofs,  trimming 
their  manes,  and  devoting  all  his  time  and  attention 
to  an  animal  which  gave  no  return  whatever.  There 
is  nevertheless  some  extenuation  in  the  fact  that 
these  were  days  of  revolutions  and  turmoil,  that  the 
native  was  continually  running  away  or  running  after 
somebody,  and  that  a  man  ill-mounted  was  a  man 
undone. 

Mr.  George  Gibson  arrived  at  "  Tuyu  "  on  the  15th 
February  1835.  I  quote  a  letter  written  by  him 
three  days  later  to  his  brother  Robert,  then  in  the 
city  of  Buenos  Aires : — "  The  vessel  arrived  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Salado  on  Sunday  the  8th,  but  in 
consecjuence  of  a  strong  wind  blowing  right  into  the 


f 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  249 

harbour  she  could  not  get  out  again  till  Tuesday 
morning.  AVe  were  then  kept  beating  about  for  two 
days  with  a  head  wind,  without  being  able  to  make  a 
mile  in  our  course.  At  the  end  of  that  time  we  got 
a  fresh  breeze  from  the  north,  which  sent  us  spinning 
along  at  a  good  rate,  so  that  in  twenty-four  hours  we 
were  anchored  off  the  coast  of  the  '  Tuyu,'  4  or  5  miles 
distant.  Here  again  we  were  kept  three  days  before 
we  got  into  the  river  or  creek,  waiting  till  both 
wind  and  water  answered,  as  both  at  once  are  neces- 
sary to  get  in.  On  the  bar  at  the  entrance  there  are 
seven  feet  of  water  at  the  highest  tides,  and  only  about 
a  foot  at  low  tide.  When  we  did  oet  in  the  wind 
was  again  contrary  for  proceeding  up  the  creek ;  we 
therefore  started  next  morn  in  o-  in  the  boat  for  the  berth 
the  vessel  usually  occupies,  about  15  miles  up  from 
the  mouth,  which  w^e  reached  in  about  two  and  a  half 
hours,  and  landed  on  the  estancia.  We  despatched  a 
sailor  on  foot  to  the  steading,  but  he  met  Don  Mariano 
(the  manager)  and  a  peon,  and  we  soon  had  horses 
and  left  for  the  station,  a  distance  of  12  miles  b}^ 
the  roundabout  road  necessary  to  avoid  the  deep 
marshes. 

"  I  was  highly  delighted  with  the  appearance  of 
the  woods,  w^iicli  greatly  exceed  the  idea  I  had 
formed  of  them.  The  term  montes  sounds  to  me  very 
inadequate  and  even  contemptible  to  apply  to  them. 
They  are  beautiful,  and  some  of  them  magnificent, 
forming  many  of  the  finest  sylvan  scenes  I  ever  looked 
upon.     I  will    try  to  describe  one  of  these  to  you. 


250  THE  SHEEP-BREEDIXG  INDUSTRY 

which  I  believe  will  answer  for  the  others.  Imagine 
yourself  to  be  in  the  middle  of  an  immense  park 
about  two  miles  in  diameter,  bounded  with  fine 
woods,  not  in  a  continuous  line  but  with  open  spaces 
here  and  there  forming  delightful  recesses,  these  again 
bounded  by  more  distant  woods,  and  in  the  centre  of 
these,  stretches  of  open  land  with  fine  circular  clumps 
of  trees.  In  the  area  of  this  great  park  are  scattered 
various  clusters  of  timber,  under  whose  shade  if  the 
day  be  hot  you  will  see  cattle  standing  or  lying  down 
on  the  grass.  There  are  also  single  trees  standing 
here  and  there.  To  complete  the  scene,  a  herd  of 
deer  bounds  across  before  you,  from  one  wood  to 
another." 

Farther  on,  in  the  same  letter,  he  describes  the 
spot  which  was  to  become  the  home  of  himself  and 
his  brothers  for  many  years ;  and  w^hich-  is  still  the 
head  station  of  "  Los  Yngleses": — "  There  is  a  very  fine 
wood  about  half  a  mile  in  length,  with  a  gap  in  the 
centre  some  three  hundred  yards  long,  in  w-hich  are 
scattered  many  single  trees,  and  here  the  houses  are 
situated.  This  is  the  only  wood  I  have  had  time 
partly  to  explore,  and  I  believe  the  trees  in  it  are 
perhaps  fully  as  large  as  in  any  of  the  others.  In 
these  w^oods  the  trees  are  not  all  growing  in  a  mass, 
but  as  it  were  in  clumps  with  open  spaces  between. 
Here  there  are  many  little  sand  -  hills  of  irregular 
forms,  w4th  large  trees  growing  upon  them,  which 
greatly  enhances  the  appearance  of  the  scene.  There 
are    some    romantic  -  looking  small  dells   formed  by 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


these  same  sand-hills,  where  one  can  wander  along 
paths  sheltered  from  the  sun.  Some  of  these  trees 
have  trunks  measurmg  two  feet  in  diameter,  and 
even  three  feet  near  the  ground.  Many  have  fallen 
from  age,  and  their  huge  limbs  are  now  prostrate 
on  the  o-round.  It  is  so  lono-  since  I  have  seen 
any  woodland  scenery  that  I  can  scarcely  believe 
when  I  look  on  these  fine  woods  that  it  is  not  a 
dream." 

In  Chapter  I.  there  is  a  description  of  the  first 
introduction  of  merinos  to  the  "  Ynoieses."  The  fiock 
selected  for  the  first  cross  with  merinos  numbered 
970  head,  and  a  detail  of  its  composition  will  show 
what  a  small  percentage  of  white  eives  was  to  be 
found  in  a  o-eneral  "  Creole  "  flock. 

o 

50  picked  ewes  from  head  station  flock. 
140  „  bought  of  Seiior  Cordoba. 

50  ,,  „  Sefior  Yarona. 

44:0  ,,  „     in  the  South. 

260  wethers. 

20  merino  rams  from  Harratt. 

10  ,,  ,,        Sheridan. 


Total     970 


The  picked  ewes  cost  from  2s.  up  to  3s.  6d.  each. 
The  rams  cost  £2  each. 

In  1837  there  is  a  summary  made  of  the  returns  in 
the  first  year  and  a  half : — 


•52  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


Cost  of  940  slieep  .   •'$4400  Produce  of  common  wool,  say      $300 

„        20  rams     .      1000  250  lbs.  merino  wool  @  $1  (7d.)  250 

Expenses  of  keej),  say    800  250  slieep-skins  («;  $1      .  .      250 

500  wethers  («  §5  .  .    2500 

1250  sheep  (a^  §5      .  .  .   6250 

20  rams  @  $50    .  .  .    1000 


86200  810,550 


Profit  on  1|^  years       .        $4350 
Add  for  500  mestizaewes, 

worth  $10  instead  of  85   2500 


86850  =  110  %  profit  in  li  years. 

This  was,  however,  a  somewhat  too  sanguine 
calculation,  though  it  serves  to  show  that  the 
journalist  had  discovered  the  sheep  to  be  the  animal 
whose  return  would  be  the  golden  harvest  of  the 
future. 

The  wool  yielded  by  the  mestiza  sheep  in  1837 
averao'ed  in  shearlino;  wethers  a  fleece  of  4  lbs.  3x  oz. 
of  washed  wool,  and  in  shearlino-  ewes  3  lbs.  12  oz.  of 
washed  wool.  The  rams  gave  up  to  11  lbs.  8  oz. 
washed.     The  common  Creoles  averaged  2^  lbs. 

Mr.  Robert  Gibson  had  gone  down  to  the  "  Tuyu  " 
in  1836,  and  remained  thereuntil  Mr.  Thomas  Gibson 
(the  author's  father)  arrived,  early  in  1838,  and  took 
his  place.  The  home  comforts  of  the  early  days  were 
not  of  an  extensive  order.  A  letter  written  in 
November  1837  sets  forth  reasons  for  buildino-  a  new 

o 

wattle    hut : — "  A   o-ale  last  month    which  besjan  at 
night  shook  the  old  rancho   to  its  foundation,  and 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  253 

about  2  A.M.  carried  off  the  uppermost  layer  of  thatch 
or  rigging  of  the  roof,  leaving  me  of  course  in  a 
tolerably  uncomfortable  plight.  There  was  no  remedy 
for  it,  however,  but  to  move  my  bed  to  the  side  the 
wind  blew  from,  and,  wrapping  myself  up  the  best 
way  I  could,  to  wait  for  daylight.  In  the  course  of 
a  few  days  we  mended  the  roof  with  thatch,  being 
covered  in  the  interval  temporarily  with  hides." 

The  situation  of  the  estancia  in  the  extreme  north- 
east promontory  of  the  Province  saved  it  from  many 
of  the  Indian  raids.  On  one  or  two  occasions  the 
invasions  reached  the  place,  and  in  1831  there  was 
a  sharp  encounter  in  the  head  station  woods,  the 
carronades  and  stone  cannon-balls  proving  useful 
accessories  to  the  defenders.  The  precursors  of  such 
invasions  were  the  natives  living  farther  south  in  the 
interior,  who  came  flying  helter-skelter  with  their 
wdves  and  children  before  the  enemy.  They  felt  safe 
when  they  reached  the  creek,  and  could,  if  need  be,  take 
boats  and  run  out  to  sea.  One  of  the  bends  of  the 
creek  is  to  this  day  called  the  "  Kincon  del  bote," 
because  it  was  a  favourite  haven  with  the  fugitives. 
But  the  Indians  were  too  astute  to  enter  so  far  into 
what  was  almost  a  peninsula,  and  where  their  retreat 
could  easily  be  cut  ofil  Possibly  also  the  aforesaid 
stone  cannon-balls  had  acquired  deadly  fame.  The 
last  scare  was  as  late  as  1855.  The  Indians  durino- 
the  Dictatorship  of  Rosas  had  received  a  monthly 
ration  of  2000  mares  for  food  ;  one  month's  provision 
was  supplied  from  the  "  Yngieses,"  the  price  paid  per 


254  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

mare  being  2s.  6d.  On  the  fall  of  Eosas  this  supply 
was  discontinued,  and  the  Indians  began  to  make 
inroads.  The  estancia  was  barricaded  and  patrolled 
at  night ;  the  carts  and  horses  were  kept  ready  to 
beat  a  retreat  if  necessary  ;  and  the  author's  mother 
passed  a  trying  time,  prepared  at  any  moment  for  the 
savage  war  -  whoops  of  the  invaders.  The  Indians 
came  within  a  day's  march  of  the  estancia,  and  then 
retreated,  carrying  away  with  them  great  droves  of 
cattle  and  horses.  This  was  the  last  ever  heard  of 
them  in  the  district.  They  were  a  more  formidable 
and  warlike  race  than  the  submissive  "  Pampa,"  Avhom 
one  still  occasionally  meets  in  the  far  south-west. 

By  1840  there  were  over  6000  mestiza  sheep  on 
the  estancia.  The  sale  of  rams  to  neighbours  had 
begun  the  previous  year.  New  introductions  of 
merinos  had  been  made,  and  there  was  a  fine-woolled 
flock  of  a  fair  type  already  formed.  Shearing  com- 
menced at  the  end  of  December,  the  sheep  being- 
washed  twice  before  bringing  them  to  the  yard. 
A  memorandum  in  an  old  stock-book  shows  that  not 
only  were  the  sheep  ear-marked,  but  a  small  piece  of 
skin  was  slit  down  on  the  nose  or  cheek,  forming 
what  was  termed  a  "  button."  This  fell  into  disuse 
very  shortly  afterwards.  Creole  wool  was  still 
esteemed  valueless,  for  under  date  15th  Jan.  1840  I 
find  a  note  : — "  Clipped  the  wethers  in  the  Creole 
home-consumption  flock  in  order  to  relieve  them ; 
wool  thrown  away."  And  the  following  day : — 
"Clipped  175  in  the  Creole  wether  flock,  more  than 


IX  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


half  of  them  bhick.     AVith  the  exception  of  eight  ram 
fleeces,  wool  all  thrown  away." 

At  that  time  one  of  the  most  serious  plagues  was 
the  cimarron  dog.  Cimarron  signifies  wild,  savage, 
uncultured ;  and  these  dogs  were  merely  the  descend- 
ants of  tame  animals  which  had  been  allowed  to 
increase  through  the  indolence  of  their  owners.  Once 
in  a  sayage  state,  they  roamed  about  in  packs,  and, 
though  owing  their  blood  to  every  species  of  cur,  their 
type  became  a  uniform  one,  the  predominating  colour 
being  a  tawny  yellow.  The  damage  done  by  these 
brutes  was  incredible.  Flocks  were  positively 
decimated  by  them.  It  became  necessary  to  yard 
the  sheep  every  night.  A  premium  of  $4  on  big 
dogs,  82  on  small  ones,  and  81  on  puppies,  was 
offered.  The  journals  from  1839  to  1860  are  full  of 
records  of  damage  done  by  the  cimarrones.  Over 
2000  head  are  registered  whose  destruction  has  been 
tallied  and  paid  for.  A  few  specimens  of  this  wild 
breed  of  dogs  still  lurk  in  the  sea- coast  sand-hills 
some  fifty  miles  south  of  the  "  Yngieses."  But  dogs 
continue  to  be  the  plague  of  pastoral  Ai'gentine. 
Every  country  town,  every  estancia,  every  hut,  is 
infested  with  a  throng  of  yelping,  useless  curs,  whose 
occasional  sallies  among  the  flocks  work  more  mischief 
than  the  owners  of  the  dogs  could  repair  with  five 
years'  hard  labour  picking  oakum — the  mildest  punish- 
ment that  occurs  to  the  writer  at  the  present  moment. 
Not  only  is  the  monetary  loss  a  matter  of  import- 
ance, but  the  sight  of  one  or  two  score  of  harmless 


256  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

ewes  torn,  disabled,  and  rent  to  pieces,  is  sufficient 
to  harden  even  a  dog-fancier's  heart  against  the 
whole  canine  tribe.  It  is  strange  to  note  that  in 
spite  of  the  recognition  of  this  plague,  a  dog -tax  of 
two  dollars  levied  in  the  Province  of  Buenos  Aires 
raised  such  an  outcry  that  it  was  impossible  for  the 
collectors  to  recover  the  money  ;  and  many  of  those 
who  protested  against  the  impost  had  probably  lost 
hundreds  of  pounds  through  the  destruction  wrought 
by  dogs  in  their  flocks. 

Pumas  w^ere  troublesome  also  in  the  early  years. 
A  premium  of  $100  per  head  was  offered  for  them  at 
the  "  Yngleses,"  and  by  this  means  they  were  soon 
exterminated. 

The  nearest  consecrated  burial  -  ground  was  at 
Dolores,  a  distance  of  60  miles.  A  cemetery  was 
started  in  the  "Yngleses"  in  1828,  and  in  thirty  years' 
time  it  became  necessary  to  make  a  second  one.  The 
burials  recorded  reach  nearly  200.  The  last  inter- 
ment was  in  1876.  The  register  w^as  handed  over 
to  the  Ajo  authorities  in  1890,  to  be  archived  in  the 
municipal  records.  An  entry  made  in  1860  deserves 
special  mention  : — ^"  Archibald  Glover,  buried  ;  Scots- 
man, aged  70  years.  He  had  served  in  the  Pen- 
insular War,  and  was  at  the  battle  of  Waterloo." 

The  shearing  continued  to  be  a  difficult  operation 
until  about  1845.  Labour  was  not  easy  to  obtain, 
and  women  and  children  had  often  to  do  the  w^ork. 
This  was  because  the  native  was  either  serving  in 
the    National  Guard  at   the  orders  of  the   Dictator 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  257 

Rosas,  or   hiding  away  from  the  detachments  which 

were   constantly  scouring  the  country  in  search  of 

recruits.     Ajyropos   of    this    scarcity    of   hands,    an 

incident  in  1845  served  the  estancia  in  good  stead. 

Rosas    had    shut    the   Parana    river  against    foreign 

flags,  thereby  occasioning  an  immense  accumulation 

of  hides  in  Paraguay  and  the  Upper  Provinces,  and 

injuring    commerce    to    a   great    extent.       Both    the 

British  and  French  ministers  protested  against  this 

arbitrary  action,  but  in  vain;  and  at  last  in   1845 

the  British  minister  asked  for  his  passports,  and  left 

the  country,  announcing  his   action  to  the  English 

residents.       The    author's  father  was    down  in    the 

"  Yngleses,"  and  received  the  announcement  a  few  days 

later,  but  resolved  to  remain  where  he  was,  and  trust 

to  the  chivalry  of  the  Argentine  commander  in  the 

south,  to  leave  him  in  peace.     At  this  time  the  cattle 

roamed    untended,   there   being   no    hands    to    mob 

them    or    brand    them,  for    all    the    gauchos   were 

cantoned  and  under  arms.     There  was  a  danger  of 

the   stock  becoming  unmanageable,  and   the  greater 

part  being  unbranded,  they  could  be  claimed  by  any 

neighbour  as  his  own.     Mr.  Robert  Gibson  rode  down 

from  Buenos  Aires  to  Dolores,  and  applied  to  Colonel 

del  Valle,  the  chief  in  command,  for  a  picket  of  men 

to  do  the  work.     Del  Valle's  answer  was  a  flatterinar 

one :  — "  For   your    brother   who    remained   at    his 

estancia  when  his  minister  advised  him  to  leave  the 

country  ?       Most   willingly  !  "       And,    ordering   the 

troops  to  be  drawn  up  in  the  Plaza,  he  allowed  Mr. 

s 


258  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

Eobert  Gibson  to  select  those  among  them  who 
knew  the  Tuyu  district,  and  they  all  left  that  even- 
ing for  the  estancia,  where  they  executed  the  brand- 
ing, and  returned  to  their  quarters.  Poor  Colonel 
del  Valle  shortly  afterwards  fell  into  disfavour  with 
the  Dictator.  He  died  of  a  fever,  and  it  is  reported 
that  his  body  remained  for  some  time  sewn  up  in 
a  horse  hide,  before  a  charitable  man  was  found 
sufficiently  courageous  to  bury  it.  Such  were  the 
times  of  terror  under  which  the  South  o-roaned  in  the 
'■'  forties." 

The  idea  of  counting  sheep  by  pulling  them  out 
one  by  one,  and  tallying  them  at  the  gate,  has  been 
frequently  discounted  as  a  traveller's  tale.  In  1855 
delivery  was  given  to  a  native  shepherd  of  a  large 
flock  of  sheep,  and  the  animals  were  actually  counted 
in  this  manner.  The  memorandum  of  the  perform- 
ance runs  as  follows  :  — "  Counted  out  3952  head, 
catching  them  one  by  one.  Thirteen  men  employed, 
viz.  two  overseers,  two  counters,  two  shepherds, 
and  seven  catchers." 

The  first  mention  of  scab  occurs  in  November 
1845.  Apparently  this  was  the  first  appearance  of 
the  disease  in  the  "Yng-leses."  In  1846,  in  the  month 
of  July,  a  further  note  says :  "  Scab  has  appeared 
here  again,"  which  would  seem  to  point  out  that  it 
was  unknown  until  1845.  In  1847  there  are  direc- 
tions given  for  its  treatment.  In  1849  a  bath  was 
constructed,  and  the  sheep  were  dipped  systemati- 
cally ;  this  was  probably  the  first  scab-bath  made  in 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  259 

the  country.     In   1855  a  cure  recommended  by  the 
agent  of  Prince  Dorria  of  Rome  is  quoted  : — 

"  Lime  with  Avatei'  in  the  proportion  of  7  per  cent. 
Add  grease  or  oil  in  equal  quantity. 
Apply  with  a  rag." 

Scarcely  an  efficacious  remedy.  Scab,  however, 
was  not  at  first  the  deadly  enemy  it  subsequently 
became.  The  merino  sheep  suffered  less  from  the 
disease,  due  no  doubt  to  the  closeness  of  its  fleece 
and  the  greater  quantity  of  defensive  yoke  in  the 
wool.  With  the  introduction  of  the  long-wool,  the 
disease  became  propagated  with  alarming  rapidity. 
It  is  now  subjected,  but  at  the  cost  of  an  enormous 
outlay.  In  addition  to  movable  dipping  plant, 
there  are  three  permanent  baths,  varying  in  length 
from  15  yards  up  to  25  yards,  constructed  with  brick 
and  cement,  and  provided  with  mixing  deposits, 
boilers,  and  siphons.  The  sheep  are  dipped  shortly 
after  shearing;  they  get  a  second  bath  within  12 
days  of  the  first,  and  a  third  within  15  days  of  the 
second.  Every  week  after  this  the  flock  is  revised 
by  the  shepherd,  the  suspicious  animals  are  separated 
and  dipped  at  once.  Hand  -  curing  is  entirely 
abolished.  The  bare  cost  of  the  dipping  stufi'  per 
annum  varies  from  £750  to  £1000.  But  so  long  as 
Contagious  Disease  Acts  are  conspicuous  by  their 
absence,  and  the  ragged  pet  lamb  of  an  idle  gauclio 
strays  from  a  neighbouring  field  in  the  township 
and  plays  havoc  before  it  is  discovered  and  removed, 


26o  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

tlie     expense   will     incline    more    to   increase    than 
diminish. 

It  is  remarkable  to  note  an  allusion  to  the 
bronchial  or  lung-worm  so  early  as  January  1846. 
The  general  supposition  is  that  the  Strongulus  filaria 
made  its  first  appearance  in  this  country  in  1868. 
But  the  note  in  1846  is  from  the  hand  of  Mr.  Eobert 
Gibson,  who  was  an  M.D.,  and  scarcely  likely  to  make 
a  mis-statement  on  such  a  matter.  The  year  1845 
had  been  marked  by  an  inundation  from  the  south ; 
and  a  great  area  of  the  land  had  been  under  water 
during  the  winter  months.  This  gives  colour  to  the 
1846  invasion  of  the  lung-worm.  There  is  a  tendency 
to  ascribe  to  too  recent  dates  the  importation  of  the 
epidemics  from  which  the  Argentine  sheep  suffer — 
if  indeed  the  word  "  importation  "  should  be  used  at 
all.  Scab  is  said  to  have  been  brought  over  from 
Europe  in  1838,  and  yet  so  early  as  1845  it  is  found 
in  the  remote  Tuyu;  and  the  mention  of  the  Strongulus 
jilaria  in  1846,  twenty-two  years  before  the  date 
generally  ascribed  to  its  first  visit,  goes  to  prove  that 
the  later  year  was  rather  the  one  in  which  breeders 
first  began  to  notice  the  cause  of  a  mortality  which, 
previous  to  that  time,  they  had  been  content  to 
attribute  to  im  ano  de  epidemia,  —  a  year  of 
epidemic ;  a  generic  term  which  embraces  all  the 
maladies  under  the  sun,  as  well  as  a  scarcity  of 
pasture  and  water. 

The  mention  of  the  1845   inundation  brings  me 
to  the  subject  of  the  floods  which  from  time  to  time 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  261 


have  reduced  the  "  Yngleses  "  to  one-half  or  a  third  of 
its  normal  area.     The  first  record  of  such  an  inunda- 
tion is  in  1817,  which  is  mentioned  in  the  weather 
journal  as  remembered  by  the  old  hands.     The  next 
was  in  1834.     Another  occurred  in  1845.     Ao-ain  in 
1857  ;  in  1866  ;  in  1877  ;  in  1883,  1884,  and  1889. 
The  rainfall  in  the  south-east  portion  of  the  Province 
of  Buenos  Aires,  covering  an  area  of  over  14,000  sq. 
miles,  finds  a  sluggish  exit  through  the  department 
of  Ajd,  by  way  of  the  chain  of  marshes  and  lagoons 
which   empty  themselves  into  the  Aj(5   Creek.     The 
pendant   is   scarcely   perceptible,    and    the   constant 
formation  of  banks  and  dams,  by  the  deposit  of  earth 
and  weeds,  frequently  stops  the  flow  of  the  currents. 
The  mouth  of  the  creek  is  impeded  by  a  mud-bank, 
which  adds  to  the  obstacles  in  the  way  of  the  retiring 
waters.       With  the  accumulation   from   heavy  rain- 
falls, and  the  inadequateness  of  channels  of  exit,  the 
departments  of  Ajd,   Tordillo,    Dolores,  and    Vecino 
become  inundated.     There  is  a  fenometer  placed  close 
to  the  head  station  of  the  "Yngleses"  which  marks  the 
rise  of  the  waters  in  times   of  flood  ;  and  as   each 
successive  inch  becomes  submerged,  it  is  known  that 
such  and  such   a  flock  is  in    dancrer.       Great   rafts 
drawn   by  horses    are   in   readiness,    and    these    are 
despatched  to  float  over  the  sheep  to  the  higher  lands. 
In  1857  little  more  than  the  sand-rido;es  were  visible 
above  the  water.     Over  14,000  head  were  slauorhtered 
and  boiled  down  in  order  to  reduce  the  stock  and 
save   the   remainder.     In    1877    the   number   boiled 


262  THE  sheep-brep;ding  industry 

down  ascended  to  20,000  head.  Thanks  to  this 
recourse,  there  has  never  been  a  loss  from  flood  at 
the  "  Ynoieses,"  as  the  animals  crowded  out  have  been 
converted  into  tallow  and  skins.  Neighbours,  less 
fortunately  circumstanced,  have  suffered  heavily  from 
inundations  ;  and  the  pitiful  sight  of  sheep  eating  the 
wool  from  off"  one  another's  backs  has  been  more 
than  once  witnessed  in  this  district.  Of  late  years 
these  floods  have  been  more  frequent,  and  a  favourite 
mode  of  locomotion  is  to  travel  in  a  boat  drawn  by 
a  horse.  The  boundary  rider's  clothes  and  saddle 
are  never  dry  ;  the  girths  and  leathern  gear  only  last 
a  few  months ;  and  travelling  is  frequently  rendered 
impossible.  It  may  appear  a  thankless  undertaking 
to  breed  sheep  in  a  land  subject  to  flood,  hemmed 
in  by  marshes,  so  comparatively  near  the  city  of 
Buenos  Aires  and  yet  60  miles  from  the  nearest 
railway  station ;  but  the  splendid  quality  of  the 
grasses  and  the  healthiness  of  the  climate  more 
than  compensate  for  these  inconveniences.  The 
sheep  fatten  quickly,  the  increase  is  great,  and 
the  wool    orrown  here   is   remarkable   for   its    lustre 

o 

and  purity. 

There  is  a  project  for  the  canalisation  of  these 
lands,  and,  if  it  is  carried  out,  the  danger  from  floods 
will  become  a  thing  of  the  past.  The  rainfall  cannot 
be  said  to  have  increased  during  the  past  half-century; 
but  it  is  probably  more  evenly  distributed  through 
the  year.  There  is  little  doubt  also  that  violent 
storms  are  less  frequent  than  they  were.     A  table  of 


1     -■ 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  263 

the  rainfall  at  the  "  Yngleses"  for  tlie  f)ast  thirty-four 
years  is  appended  (pp.  264,  265). 

In  1850  machines  were  got  out  from  England  to 
remove  the  burrs  from  the  wool  and  sheep-skins. 
The  attempt  was  not  successful,  and  was  soon  after- 
wards abandoned.  The  plant  of  the  big  burr  [ahrojo 
grmide)  was  pulled  up  everywhere  on  the  estancia,  and 
has  never  since  been  allowed  to  gain  foot,  though  it 
still  infests  the  neighbouring;  lands.  A  similar  thino; 
could  not  be  done  with  the  trefoil,  which  produces  the 
small  burr,  as  this  grass  is  one  of  the  most  nutritious 
on  the  land. 

Lucern  was  sown  first  in  1849  and  gave  splendid 
results,  though  it  was  found  to  die  out  if  grazed  upon 
all  the  year  round.  In  1853  five  crops  were  taken 
from  one  field  of  lucern. 

The  first  wire  fence  was  made  in  1853.  The  posts 
were  placed  three  yards  apart,  and  only  three  wires 
were  used,  very  nearly  the  thickness  of  a  man's  little 
finger.  The  cost  of  the  fence  was  estimated  at  7d. 
per  yard.  By  1858  several  paddocks  had  been  con- 
structed, and  part  of  the  boundary  fence  was  made ; 
six  wires  were  employed  instead  of  three,  and  the  cost 
was  estimated  at  Is.  8d.  per  yard.  There  are  now  84 
miles  of  fencing  upon  the  estancia. 

Away  back  in  the  "thirties"  the  slaughtering  of 
cattle  for  their  hides  and  tallow  had  been  commenced. 
The  beasts  were  driven  down  to  the  vicinity  of  the 
landing  stage  on  the  creek,  and  there  they  were  killed. 
The  hides  were  salted,  and  the  tallow  rendered  down 


EAIN 

TABLE    FOE    LAST 

District — Aj6,  vicinity 

(Lat.  36°  31'  12"  S. 

Distance  from  seaboard,  6  miles. 

Tear. 

Monthly  Rainfall  in  Centimetres. 

Jan.    1 

Feb. 

Mar. 

April. 

:Maj-.       June. 

July. 

Aug. 

Sep. 

Oct. 

Nov. 

Dec. 

1859 

1-84 

3-09 

5-08 

4-48 

9-94      3-14 

6-22 

4-90 

6-53 

4-73 

8 

30 

1 

24 

1860 

2-05 

13-94 

17-13 

5-11 

17-41 

15-77 

7-54 

7-51 

3-39 

12-29 

5 

87 

2 

05 

1861 

0-18 

7-62 

2-91 

13-73 

2-20 

1-39 

0-73 

8-28 

2-78 

7-85 

1 

49 

1 

57 

1862 

3-00 

1-62 

12-09 

2-53 

14-42 

21-13 

7-44 

1-57 

2-76 

3  03 

3 

92 

6 

57 

1863 

10-12 

3-01 

4-58 

2-78 

3-85 

13-23 

1-77 

0-81 

6-51 

8-00 

4 

80 

5 

76 

1864 

3-92 

4-93 

1-37 

16-70 

9-77 

14-27 

5-41 

9-42 

6-59 

8-28 

4 

57 

17 

23 

1865 

15-73 

7-55 

8-68 

8-28 

8-58 

13-78 

5-92 

5-51 

5-74 

9-54 

3 

47 

4 

13 

1866 

0-64 

2-43 

3-92 

5-61 

17-01 

4-48 

7-44 

7-85 

5-00 

9-87 

7 

52 

3 

85 

1867 

2-04 

1-90 

5 -OS 

9-37 

6-65 

2-66 

5-92 

5-38 

1-14 

1-77 

10 

60 

5 

64 

1868 

5-05 

4-93 

19-44 

0-51 

111 

8-13 

1-17 

5-21 

11-36 

10-98 

8 

10 

7 

11 

1869 

18-31 

6-77 

6-83 

7-72 

0-63 

1-93 

11-01 

5-08 

12 

90 

12 

64 

1870 

5-21 

10-88 

9-14 

8-35 

9-74 

1-44 

3-34 

0-63 

6-45 

13 

33 

1 

42 

1871 

5-33 

18-96 

18-07 

6-12 

1-87 

15-51 

6-85 

2-83 

6-30 

3 

75 

11 

34 

1872 

15-67 

6-60 

8-00 

4-88 

4-61 

8-56 

4-67 

13-53 

2-20 

2-83 

8 

00 

9 

06 

1873 

12-35 

5-08 

7-11 

2-23 

4-65 

6-73 

4-89 

5-81 

8 

00 

5 

26 

1874 

3-77 

6-73 

5-08 

3-04 

12-80 

4-62 

7-52 

12-97 

10-37 

12-12 

9 

53 

1 

90 

1875 

10-12 

5-33 

1-27 

13-00 

6-47 

1-19 

5-33 

2-71 

2-63 

4-98 

2 

18 

3 

34 

1876 

6-70 

8-68 

13-61 

11-72 

7-37 

9-19 

7-16 

8-79 

1-44 

8-08 

6 

23 

4 

53 

1877 

4-05 

14-70 

8-56 

14-80 

6-57 

16-58 

7-54 

2-15 

8-46 

5 

11 

10 

90 

1878 

10-98 

1-39 

10-75 

12-97 

5-80 

11-23 

3-24 

2-81 

1-77 

9-65 

8 

56 

8 

38 

1879 

3-49 

6-14 

14-75 

1-72 

10-80 

15-56 

5-28 

1-90 

3-17 

2-53 

6 

65 

2 

18 

1880 

14-96 

5-79 

9-06 

1-49 

5-05 

10-25 

4-57 

3-09 

3-75 

4-63 

10 

16 

9 

06 

1881 

7-42 

3-75 

3-21 

5-92 

1-44 

12-32 

6-70 

4-08 

17-59 

13-23 

5 

16 

3 

03 

1882 

6-78 

3-37 

5-13 

5-46 

2-20 

3-01 

2-85 

11-82 

3-24 

6-22 

6 

68 

3 

84 

1883 

10-07 

0-89 

20-12 

4-51 

6-78 

12-90 

10-55 

5-43 

5-69 

8-68 

7 

49 

3 

67 

1884 

2-99 

1-95 

6-02 

14-04 

0-63 

6-02 

1-65 

5-38 

32-08 

7-67 

3 

77 

5 

46 

1885 

7-67 

16-25 

18-83 

7-62 

7-62 

5-94 

4-63 

4-30 

5-41 

10-55 

7 

37 

16 

37 

1886 

9-05 

1-70 

15-72 

7-47 

4-35 

6-65 

0-90 

1-37 

7-74 

9-91 

2 

41 

8 

63 

1887 

2-80 

10-62 

3-68 

6-91 

17-66 

2-66 

7-31 

4-07 

8-60 

5 

13 

11 

77 

1888 

11-22 

5-76 

8-89 

13-52 

o'-91 

6-45 

13-90 

8-90 

7-00 

6-77 

3 

91 

11 

51 

1889 

31-25 

6-58 

7-86 

8-45 

6-17 

7-02 

8-44 

9-85 

3-74 

1-02 

7 

86 

3 

78 

1890 

5-05 

5-72 

10-20 

8-22 

4-45 

5-58 

11-48 

6-53 

2-42 

2-88 

3 

51 

6 

16 

1891 

6-58 

8-62 

7-49 

1-38 

1008 

3-15 

7-91 

11-36 

0-65 

12-12 

6 

93 

11 

60 

1892 

4-82 

4-03 

9-33 

1-82 

7-41 

0-31 

6-53 

6-34 

13-53 

12-03 

4-10 

4-33 

Aver- 

age 

7-56 

6-08 

9-06 

7-12 

6-62 

8-05 

5-22 

6-08 

5-92 

7-44 

6-39 

6-62 

THIRTY-FOUE    YEAES 

OF  Cape  San  Antonio 

Height  of  pluviameter  above  ground,  3  ft.  6  in 

•) 

Total 
Fall  in 

Maximum  Register. 

Rainy 
Days  in 

RpiiiRrlvS 

the 
Tear. 

Fall  in 
24  hours. 

Date. 

the  Year. 

59-49 

5-16 

September  8-9 

44 

110-25 

8-08 

May  12-13 

65 

Stormy  year. 

50-73 

4-81 

April  11  . 

44 

84-18 

7-21 

June  24    . 

48 

65-42 

7-11 

January  9 

38 

102-46 

7-42- 

August  28 

52 

96-91 

8-30 

May  14    . 

49     • 

81-62 

5-79 

May  11-12 

52 

58-15 
89-10 

4-10 
6-90 

May  23    . 
March  4  . 

43 
53 

\  Drought. 

83-72 

4-51 

September  6 

51 

Snowed  in  July  :  iirst  record  since  1849. 

71-73 

6-14 

November  14 

45 

96-93 

7-06 

February  14 

40 

88-61 

6-35 

August  27 

52 

Suowed  in  July. 

63-11 

5-84 

February  16 

40 

90-45 

8-51 

August  27 

50 

Severe  tempest  in  August ;  heavy  hailstones. 

58-55 

5-59 

April  26-27 

42 

91-50 

6-60 

March  17 

50 

89-42 

7-36 

May  3      . 

70 

Heavy  inundation,  July  to  October. 

87-53 

5-74 

April  27-28 

68 

74-17 

5-59 

May  18    . 

50 

^ 

81-86 

6-50 

November  9-l( 

64 

)■  Drought. 

83-85 

10-17 

September  12 

66 

60-60 

3-79 

August  4 

54 

1 

96-78 

4-42 

October  16-17 

71 

Inundation,  August  to  September. 

87-66 

14-98 

September  21-: 

1-2 

54 

Inundation,  September  to  October. 

112-46 

6-99 

March  22-23 

82 

75-90 

5-85 

October  20-21 

53 

81-21 

7-25 

February  17 

67 

98-74 

5-86 

April  9-10 

100 

102-02 

6-67 

January  8 

82 

Heavy  snowstorm,  13th  August. 

72-20 

3-52 

May  1      . 

88 

87-87 

4-65 

December  2 

89 

Drought  from  January  to  May. 

74-58 

4-40 

October  25-26 

72 

Drought  during  winter  ;  tardy  spring. 

82-64 

14-98 

Sept.  21-22,  1884     . 

58 

266  THE  SHEEP-BREEDIXG  INDUSTRY 

in  a  huge  caldron  suspended  by  chains  from  shear 
legs.  On  this  spot  the  town  of  Aj(5  was  afterwards 
built.  The  boiling  down  of  sheep  was  commenced  at 
the  "  Yngleses"  in  1843,  the  same  year  and  the  same 
month  as  the  industry  w^as  started  in  Australia,  a 
coincidence  already  noticed  elsewhere.  A  trial  was 
made  in  this  year  with  432  wethers,  and  the  results 
were  satisfactory.  By  1848  boilers  had  been  brought 
from  England,  and  boiling  down  became  almost  an 
annual  institution.  Those  were  the  days  when  tallow 
was  as  high  as  60s.  per  cwt,  and  an  average  wether 
netted  from  12s.  to  13s.  The  weight  obtained  from 
each  animal  varied  from  21  lbs.  up  to  30  lbs.  of  melted 
and  refined  tallow.  From  1843  to  1893  the  total 
number  of  sheep  boiled  down  at  the  "Yngleses" 
reaches  191,120  head.  But  since  1881  the  industry 
has  become  a  thing  of  the  past ;  tallow  has  fallen 
down  to  20s.  or  21s.,  and  the  demand  for  frozen 
mutton  has  made  a  new  market  for  surplus  bleaters. 
The  head  station  has  for  its  rainwater  deposits  the 
boilers  which  have  served  their  time  in  the  grease 
department ;  others  have  been  relegated  to  the  dip- 
ping plant  for  heating  the  curing  stuffs.  In  1858  a 
boiler  stuck  on  its  w^ay  up  from  the  creek  to  the  head 
station ;  it  was  a  new  one  and  heavy,  and  the  roads 
were  muddy  and  half  flooded,  and  the  boiling  down 
for  that  year  was  about  over.  But  if  it  would  not 
serve  for  one  thing,  it  served  for  another.  A  flock  of 
sheep  was  sent  to  where  the  boiler  lay  neglected,  and 
the  shepherd  and  his  wife  took  up  their  abode  in  this 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  267 

novel  dwelling,  put  up  a  division  in  the  centre  of  it, 
and  pronounced  it  a  most  comfortable  home.  The 
following  spring  the  boiler  was  brought  up  to  the 
head  station  ;  but  the  flock  and  its  shepherd  remained, 
and  a  hut  was  built  to  take  the  place  of  the  iron  nest 
■where  this  Argentine  Strephon  and  Chloe  had  j^assed 
the  winter.  The  sub-station  retains  its  name  of  "El 
Tacho  "  (The  Boiler). 

To  return  to  the  sheep-breeding  and  the  merinos. 
The  number  in  1844  reached  12,000  head.  This  w^as 
followed  by  the  flood  of  1845  and  the  lung- worm 
invasion,  and  the  following  shearing  season  saw  the 
stock  reduced  to  7000  head.  Ag-ain  the  number 
increased.  In  1850  there  were  over  14,000  head, 
and  in  1855  they  numbered  23,000  and  odd.  The 
flocks,  which  in  1835  were  only  two,  had  reached  the 
number  of  fourteen  twenty  years  later. 

The  stock  had  improved  proportionately.  Nearly 
every  year  a  large  consignment  of  Saxony  tups  were 
brought  from  the  Sheridan  and  Harratt  studs.  In 
1842  a  pure  Saxony  stud  flock  was  formed,  seven 
ewes  and  four  rams  of  that  breed  being  purchased. 
This  little  nucleus  reached  80  head  by  1846,  and  300 
head  by  1851.  The  sheep  were  still  washed  before 
shearing  them,  a  dam  being  made  in  a  narrow  strip  of 
water  which  linked  two  lagoons.  In  1848  the  fleeces, 
which  had  hitherto  been  tied  with  jute  twine,  were 
rolled  up  and  roped  with  a  twist  of  wool  drawn  out  of 
the  neck  of  the  fleece.  This  plan  was  abandoned  in  a 
few  years,  though  it  is  curious  to  note  that  again,  at 


268  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

the  present  time,  it  is  proposed  to  tie  the  fleeces  in 
the  same  manner.  The  little  shreds  of  jute  twine  give 
the  manufacturers  considerable  trouble  to  remove,  and 
some  are  actually  worked  up  into  the  cloth. 

In  1849  the  first  baling  press  was  erected,  and  on 
16th  November  the  first  bale  was  turned  out,  the 
weight  being  566  lbs.  of  washed  wool.  The  exporta- 
tion direct  to  Liverpool  proved  a  success,  and  by 
1853  the  wool-mark  of  the  "  Yngleses"  had  acquired 
a  good  name  with  the  home  buyers.  The  brokers,  in 
reporting  the  sale  for  that  year,  wrote  out :  "  The 
condition  is  very  good,  and  generally  without  much 
burr,  doing  you  much  credit.  The  high  valuations  will 
doubtless  induce  you  to  keep  up  the  character  your 
wool-mark  has  acquired."  In  1850  unwashed  mes- 
tiza  wool  sold  at  S^^d.  per  lb.,  and  washed  mestiza 
wool  at  lOy^yd.  per  lb.  Calculating  the  amount  of 
dirt  washed  out  at  25  per  cent  of  the  gross  weight — 
a  figure  arrived  at  by  shearing  200  sheep,  half  of 
them  washed  and  half  dirty — a  gain  of  45  per  cent 
was  made  upon  the  washed  wool. 

In  1851  all  the  remaining  sheep  of  a  Creole  type 
were  collected  and  sold  off",  and  the  general  stock  from 
that  date  was  classed  mestiza-merino.  The  stud  flock 
did  not  supply  a  sufiicient  number  of  first-class  rams 
for  the  home  service,  and  one  year  as  many  as  200 
Saxony  rams  were  bought  from  Mr.  John  Hannah, 
who  was  now  breedins;  ffrand  animals  in  his  estancia 
"  Carmen,"  to-day  the  "  Negrete."  Nevertheless,  rams 
were  bought  from  the  "  Yngleses "  by  neighbouring 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


269 


breeders,  and  the  total  number  sold  from  1839  to 
1856,  being  the  period  in  which  Saxony  sheep  formed 
the  "  Tuyu  "  stock,  amounted  to  632,  at  prices  varying 
from  12s,  up  to  £3. 

Stock  prices  varied  considerably  during  these 
twenty  years.  The  following  quotations  have  been 
all  reduced  to  English  money,  making  due  allowance 
for  the  fluctuations  in  the  depreciation  of  the  paper 
currency  : — 


Breed. 

Wethers. 

Mixed  ewes  and  lambs. 

s.     d. 

s.     d. 

1835 

Creole 

2      6 

2      3 

1839 

Mestiza-merinos 

2      3 

3      6 

1842 

Do. 

2      0 

2      3 

1845 

Do. 

1      6 

1      3 

1849 

Do. 

2      0 

1      6 

1852 

Do. 

3      0 

1    10 

1854 

Do. 

3      8 

4      2 

1856 

Do. 

5      0 

6      6 

Between  1851  and  1853  stock  had  risen  100  per 
cent  in  price.  Sheep-breeding  had  become  general ; 
wool  was  selling  at  a  high  price ;  and  there  was 
an  ever-increasing  demand  for  wethers  for  the  boil- 
ing-down establishments,  which  were  now  scattered 
throughout  the  then  pastoral  area  of  the  Province 
of  Buenos  Aires. 

As  the  wool  improved  in  quality,  so  the  weight 
of  the  fleece  augmented.  In  1839  common  fleeces 
averaged  2^  lbs.  washed  wool ;  rams'  fleeces  varied 
from  5  up  to  7^  lbs.     In  1840  the  average  of  rams' 


270  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

fleeces  was  6  lbs.  ;  special  animals  gave  up  to  11 J  lbs. 
In  1845  common  fleeces  averaged  2f  lbs.  ;  ewes  in 
the  good  mestiza  flocks  gave  5:1:  lbs.  ;  rams  gave  from 
7  lbs.  up  to  13  lbs.  In  1850  the  fine  flock  gave  an 
average  of  4^  lbs.  all  over.  In  1861,  38,647  head 
averaged  3  lbs.  4f  oz.  ;  and  in  the  following  year 
41,000  head  gave  an  all-round  average  of  3  lb.  7  oz. 
The  price  paid  to  shearers  varied  from  3s.  6d.  to 
4s.  2d.  per  hundred  animals ;  an  extra  shilling  per 
hundred  was  paid  for  shearing  rams.  The  w^ork  w^as 
entirely  done  by  natives,  women  and  children  being 
largely  employed.  There  was  a  scarcity  of  labour, 
which  rendered  it  difficult  to  finish  the  shearinof  in 
season.  In  flood  seasons  rafts  and  canoes  w^ere  sent 
long  distances  to  brino-  the  women  and  children  to 
the  head  station.  Though  the  price  paid  for  shear- 
ing appears  low,  it  was  a  high  figure  in  those  days ; 
money  was  scarce  and  w-ants  were  few.  TJie  natives 
wore  home-made  clothes ;  their  boots  were  the  raw^ 
untanned  hide  removed  from  the  fore-legs  of  a  horse. 
They  ate  nothing  but  meat ;  they  drank  nothing  but 
yerba-mate  (Paraguayan  tea).  A  handful  of  raisins 
and  walnuts,  and  a  bottle  of  thin  French  wine,  con- 
stituted a  feast ;  and  a  bottle  of  gin  and  a  guitar 
warranted  a  dance. 

The  first  change  in  sheep-breeding  at  the  "Yngleses" 
dates  from  1856.  The  delicacy  of  the  Saxony  merinos 
had  long  been  the  occasion  for  comment  in  the  Stock 
Journal.  The  mortality  in  the  lambs  was  always  a 
heavy  one ;    foot-rot  was  ever  present ;    and  it  was 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  271 

apparent  that  neither  soil  nor  climate  was  well 
adapted  for  the  merino  breed.  On  the  other  hand, 
the  fine-wooUed  sheep  was  the  only  one  bred  in  the 
country,  and  it  required  considerable  courage  to  set 
aside  the  advice  of  experienced  Argentine  breeders, 
and  introduce  an  entirely  different  class  of  sheep  in 
the  days  when  combing  wools  were  at  low  prices  and 
mutton  was  almost  valueless.  The  contention  whether 
it  was  preferable  to  breed  the  ultra-fine  wool  of  the 
German  Negretti,  or  the  medium  staple  of  the  French 
Kambouillet,  was  at  its  height ;  and  the  introduction 
of  a  sheep  whose  wool  was  of  a  class  totally  difierent 
from  the  coarsest  Rambouillet,  and  the  mixture  of  them 
with  stock  which  by  this  time  had  acquired  a  good 
merino  type  and  considerable  notoriety  in  the  country, 
appeared  an  act  little  short  of  madness.  But  the 
cuttings  taken  here  and  there  from  papers,  wdiich 
referred  to  the  English  long-wools,  and  the  notes  of 
the  fleece  and  mutton  returns  from  the  Improved 
Leicester  and  the  Romney  Marsh  which  I  find  in 
half-forgotten  scrap-books  in  the  estancia  office,  clearly 
indicate  that  the  breeders  were  studying  the  advan- 
tages and  difficulties  in  starting  a  new  breed  of  sheep, 
and  one  at  that  time  entirely  unknown  in  the  country. 
The  remarks  on  the  popularity  of  the  merino  will 
exj)lain  the  time  which  elapsed  between  the  first 
introduction  of  long- wools  and  the  date  when  it  was 
decided  to  breed  no  other  sheep  than  the  Lincoln — a 
period  of  seven  years,  during  which  not  only  were 
seven   different    English    breeds    tried,    but    merinos 


272  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

continued  to  be  bred,   and  valuable  importations  of 
this  class  of  stock  were  made. 

Early  in  1856  Mr.  Robert  Gibson  visited  the 
Romney  Marsh  district,  and  was  struck  with  the 
similarity  between  the  low-lying  swampy  ground  he 
saw  there,  and  the  "  Tuyu  "  lands.  The  sheep  pleased 
him,  and  he  observed  their  healthy  condition,  so 
different  to  that  of  the  sore-footed  delicate  Saxonies. 
These  remarks  were  the  subject  of  a  letter  he  wrote 
to  his  brother  at  the  "  Yngleses  "  ;  and  he  speedily  fol- 
lowed up  this  with  a  remission  of  seven  ewes  and  four 
tups,  all  of  the  Romney  Marsh  breed.  Of  these  only 
one  ewe  and  the  four  rams  arrived  and  were  brought 
to  the  "Yngleses"  on  the  1st  of  December  1856. 
Another  lot  of  seven  ewes  and  five  rams  was  more 
fortunate,  and  they  all  arrived  safely  on  the  28th  of 
March  1858.  The  ewes  formed  the  nucleus  of  the 
first  long-woolled  flock,  and  the  rams  were  put  to  a 
flock  of  merinos  of  good  class.  The  first  cross-lamb 
was  born  on  the  5th  of  May  1857;  and  by  the  4th 
of  December  of  the  same  year  a  flock  of  280  Romney- 
Saxony  cross  hogget  ewes  had  been  formed.  The 
10th  of  June  1858  is  marked  in  the  Stock  Journal 
with  one  of  those  events  which  might  well  render  the 
breeder  desperate  : — "  The  first  three  pure  Romney 
Marsh  lambs  born  were  worried  to  death  by  wild 
dogs."  By  1860  the  first  eight  imported  ewes  had 
died,  seven  having  been  killed  by  dogs.  In  August 
1859  there  occurs  the  remark: — "The  Romneys  are 
so  fat  that  we  have  to  yard  them  every  night,  and 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  273 

part  of  the  day."  On  20th  September  1859  the 
Romney  Marsh  stud  flock  was  brought  from  the  sub- 
station where  it  was  first  kept,  and  kept  in  two  small 
paddocks  at  the  head  station.  It  was  called  the 
Poti^ero  (paddock)  flock,  a  name  it  retains  to-day. 
Until  1861  it  was  served  by  Romneys,  and  from  that 
date  it  has  been  served  by  Lincolns  until  now.  It  is 
the  present  stud-flock  of  the ''Yngleses."  In  1860 
there  is  a  note  given  of  the  wool  return ;  one  ewe 
gave  a  fleece  of  15  lbs.  weight,  the  animal  having 
been  grass-fed  on  the  natural  pasture  like  all  the  rest. 
1857  was  marked  by  one  of  the  heavy  floods  already 
alluded  to,  and  it  is  worthy  of  note  that  not  one 
single  cross-lamb  died  from  the  inclement  weather. 

In  1862  both  Cotswold  and  Improved  New  Leices- 
ter (College  Cirencester)  tups  were  imported  from 
England.  And  the  same  year,  a  little  later  on,  the 
first  Lincoln  was  imported,  with  another  lot  of  Rom- 
neys  and  Leicesters,  at  the  instigation  of  Mr.  Flatten, 
Sedgeford,  Norfolk,  who  purchased  all  the  sheep  for 
the  "  Yngleses,"  and  who  added  the  Lincoln,  with  the 
remark  : — "  I  send  you  a  Lincoln  with  this  lot  of  ugly 
long-backed  Romneys,  of  which  you  appear  to  be  so 
fond,  as  I  wish  you  to  have  at  least  one  good  sheep 
upon  your  place."  Mr.  Flatten  was  correct  in  his 
opinion.  The  Lincoln  made  a  better  cross  with  the 
merinos  than  the  Romney.  In  1863  a  large  number 
of  Lincolns  w^ere  ordered  from  home,  followed  by  two 
more  lots  in  1864,  and  a  succession  of  importations 
of  the  same  breed  every  year. 

T 


274  THE  SHEEP-BREEDIXG  INDUSTRY 

But  experiments  with  other  breeds  were  made. 
Shropsliires,  Cheviots,  and  Highland  Black-faces  were 
imported,  to  be  discarded  again  immediately  after 
arrival.  Lincoln  tups  were  put  to  the  Romney  Marsh 
stud  and  other  flocks,  and  the  same  breed,  which  has 
to-day  become  the  fashionable  long -wool  all  over  the 
world,  continued  to  be  produced  on  the  "  Yngleses  " 
up  to  the  present  time. 

But,  as  has  already  been  remarked,  it  took  seven 
years  to  convince  the  breeders  that  long-wools  were 
more  profitable  sheep  than  merinos  on  the  "Tuyu" 
lands.  In  1856  three  tups,  whose  prime  cost  was  £50 
each,  were  imported  from  the  Imperial  stud  of  France. 
Three  years  later  an  important  purchase  of  sheep  was 
made  from  Mr.  John  Hannah,  consisting  of  sixty  pure 
selected  Saxony  ewes.  To  these  was  put  a  high-class 
German  NeQTetti,  brouoiit  from  the  famous  Gilbert 
stud.  The  period  from  1856  to  1864  was  indeed  one 
of  transition  ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  there  were  no  less 
than  ten  different  breeds  of  sheep  on  the  "  Yngleses," 
all  kept  carefully  separate,  and  then'  various  crosses 
were  the  subject  of  voluminous  notes  and  compari- 
sons. The  result  of  this  species  of  competitive 
examination  was  all  in  favour  of  the  Lincoln,  and  in 
1865  every  remaining  merino  tup  was  castrated,  and 
nothing  but  Lincoln  tups  were  left  in  the  flocks. 
The  few  crosses  from  the  Shropshires,  Cheviots,  and 
Highland  Black-faces  were  boiled  down  and  consumed. 
The  history  of  the  breeding  of  the  "Yngleses"  stock 
may  therefore  be  divided  as  follows  : — 


IX  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  275 

1835-1856 — ]\Ierinos,  chiefly  Saxonies. 

1856-1865 — Romney  Marsh,  Lincoln,  Cotswold,  and  Improved 

Leicester. 
1865-1893— Lincoln. 

In  1863  a  successful  experiment  was  made  with 
"Pampa"  sheep.  Five  thousand  selected  ewes  of 
this  breed  were  purchased  and  brought  to  the 
"Yngleses"  to  be  crossed  with  Lincoln  tups.  The 
Pampa  sheep  is  descended  principally  from  the  long- 
wooUed  Spanish  sheep,  brought  over  by  the  con- 
querors in  the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth  century,  and 
is  not  to  be  confounded  with  the  Creole,  which  is 
descended  from  the  old  Spanish  merino,  interbred 
and  degenerated.  The  Pampa  sheep  was  superior  to 
the  Creole,  though  both  were  semi-wild  animals  half 
a  century  ago.  The  former  had  a  white  face,  thin 
lonsf  leos,  lono-  white  wool  coarse  and  lustreless,  the 
belly  and  often  part  of  the  neck  bare,  and  generally 
with  horns.  Nevertheless  they  had  sufficient  of  the 
type  of  the  long-woolled  English  sheep  to  justify  an 
attempt  to  improve  them  by  crossing  with  Lincolns. 
The  experiment  was  in  every  respect  a  successful  one. 
The  cross-Pampas  soon  grew  to  the  large  body  and 
lustre  wool  of  the  Lincoln.  The  ewes  were  prolific 
and  excellent  mothers,  and  the  race  hardy  to  a  degree; 
they  were  kindly  fatteners  and  easily  shepherded. 
The  sheep  of  this  origin  are  always  kept  separate 
from  the  other  stock,  and  no  ewes  from  them  are 
drafted  into  the  Lincoln-merino  flocks.  Tups  have 
never  been  bred  in  them,  and  so  there  is  no  danger 


276  THE  SHEEP-BREEDIXG  INDUSTRY 

of  a  mixture  of  blood  which  might  prejudice  the 
other  sheep.  Even  to-day  they  have  a  special  type  : 
their  wool  is  remarkably  long,  white,  and  silky ;  the 
bone  is  rather  fine,  though  the  body  is  big.  They  are 
kept  on  the  marsh  lands,  and  no  amount  of  water 
seems  to  afi'ect  them.  They  are  often  to  be  seen  in 
mid-winter  immersed  in  the  flooded  swamps  to  their 
bellies,  and  feeding  on  the  vegetable  matter  and  tops 
of  the  long  grass  as  contentedly  as  though  on  the 
finest  and  driest  pasture  land.  There  are  at  the 
present  time  eight  flocks  of  this  breed  on  the 
"  Yngleses,"  numbering  in  all  about  14,000  head. 

At  the  time  of  the  decision  in  favour  of  the 
Lincoln  sheep,  viz.  in  1865,  the  division  of  the  flocks 
and  their  breeds  was  as  follows  : — 

1  Saxony  Merino  Stud  Flock. 
1  Rambouillet  Stud  Flock. 
1  Eomney  Marsh  Stud  Flock. 
1  Lincoln  Stud  Flock. 
25  Mestiza-Merino  Flocks. 
9  Long-wool  Cross  Flocks. 

Total— 38  flocks,  with  58,524:  head. 

The  sheep  were  tended  by  men  who  shepherded 
them  on  a  profit  share.  A  good  number  of  these  men 
were  Scotch  and  English,  having  come  out  contracted 
for  at  home.  They  received  a  number  of  animals 
varying  from  1200  up  to  1800,  and  they  got  a  third 
share  of  the  increase,  wool,  skins,  and  tallow.  They 
paid  their  own  expenses  and  a  third  of  all  labour 
in  connection  with  their  flock.     They  had  a  house,  a 


IX  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  277 

garden  fenced  in,  a  few  horses,  milcli  cows,  pigs,  and 
poultry.  Many  of  them  have  since  become  flock- 
masters  themselves.  The  same  system  is  observed 
to-day,  although  now  the  profit-sharer  is  not  permitted 
to  remove  his  share  of  the  increase,  but  is  paid  for  it 
at  a  fixed  rate.  In  lands  where  a  paddock  system  is 
impossible  the  shepherd  who  tends  his  flock  on  a 
profit  share  will  do  his  work  more  thoroughly  and 
conscientiously  than  a  hireling,  and  if  he  earns  a 
large  sum  of  money  one  year,  it  is  because  his 
employer  has  made  a  proportionately  larger  one. 

AVith  the  introduction  of  the  long- wools  the  wash- 
ing of  the  sheep  before  shearing  ceased  to  be  prac- 
tised. It  was  found  to  be  no  longer  necessary  or 
convenient,  and  the  number  of  the  stock  had  increased 
so  much  that  it  would  have  been  well-nigh  impossible 
to  have  washed  them  all,  runuino;  water  not  beino- 
attainable  except  by  artificial  means. 

In  1862  Mr.  Thomas  Gibson  gave  up  the  local 
management  and  retired  to  Scotland.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Mr.  George  Corbett,  his  brother-in-law,  who 
arrived  in  1857,  and  under  whose  capable  adminis- 
tration the  sheep  continued  to  improve  in  type  and 
returns.  Mr.  Corbett  retired  to  his  own  estancias  in 
1884,  handing  over  the  management  of  the  "  Yngleses  " 
to  Mr.  Ernest  Gibson  and  his  brother,  the  author. 
The  sheep  -  breeding  traditions  have  never  been 
changed  or  lost,  for  as  ]\Ir.  Corbett  was  the  pupil  of 
Mr.  Thomas  Gibson,  so  in  turn  the  present  managers 
served  their  apprenticeship  under  him.     Though  Mr. 


278  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

Thomas  Gibson  has  continued  to  reside  in  Scotland 
since  1862,  he  has  made  many  visits  since  then  to  the 
Argentine,  and  he  still  keeps  himself  in  close  touch 
with  the  administration  of  the  "  Yno;leses."  Chano-es 
and  improvements  are  made  under  his  direction,  and 
he  is  as  familiar  with  the  daily  work  as  though 
resident  upon  the  run.  His  brother  George  died  in 
1879,  and  his  remaining  partner,  Robert,  in  1881. 

With  the  introduction  of  Lincolns  there  came  a 
marked  improvement  in  the  size  of  the  cross  stock. 
The  wool  from  the  Lincoln-merino  sheep  was  of  a  fine 
quality,  long  in  the  lock  and  well  serrated,  and  it 
commanded  a  high  price  in  the  market.  Foot-rot, 
which  had  been  the  scourge  of  the  place  for  thirty 
years,  gradually  disappeared.  There  was  a  better 
increase  in  the  flocks,  and  the  mortality  in  lambs  was 
diminished.  For  a  number  of  years  it  was  impossible 
to  dispose  of  the  increase  by  sale,  as  the  country  still 
limited  itself  to  the  merino.  Fortunately  tallow  was 
still  at  a  high  price  and  sheep-skins  sold  weU  ;  and  by 
boiling-down  the  surplus  stock  was  disposed  of  at  a 
fair  figure.  The  first  sale  of  Romney  Marsh  rams 
bred  on  the  place  was  efi'ected  in  1860,  when  six  were 
sold  to  Don  Saturnino  Unzue  at  £1  :  15s,  each.  But 
the  demand  continued  to  be  small  for  a  great  number 
of  years,  and  even  local  breeders  who  could  see  and 
appreciate  the  improved  returns  from  the  new  class  of 
sheep,  inclined  but  little  to  introduce  them  into  their 
own  flocks.  The  white  face,  long  lock,  and  clean  legs 
of  the   Lincoln   reminded   them   of  the   half-savage 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


279 


"Pampa,"  and  so  tliey  were  called  by  the  natives. 
Such  is  tradition  that  even  now  the  ''  Potrero"  stud 
flock,  founded  nearly  forty  years  ago  with  pure 
Romneys  and  Lincoln  tups,  is  called  bj^  the  hands — 
and  not  unfrequently  by  the  owners  themselves — the 
"  Pampa  flock." 

The  necessity  to  boil  down  the  increase  afiorded 
an  opportunity  of  culling  the  flocks  every  year  of  the 
most  inferior  types  of  sheep,  and  the  result  was  that 
not  only  did  the  stock  change  rapidly  from  a  merino 
class  to  long -wools,  but  the  general  standard  was 
raised  every  year.  This  is  best  demonstrated  by  the 
accompanying  table,  showing  the  changes  efi'ected  in 
twenty-live  years  in  the  wool-classing  by  the  intro- 
duction of  Lincoln  blood. 

The  increase  in  the  stock  became  more  marked 
with  the  diff'using  of  a  long-wool  strain  through  it. 
The  counts  at  the  gate  of  tlie  shearing  yard  from 
1835  to  1883  show  how  the  estancia  had  filled  up 
with  sheep  : — • 

1835  .  .  .  1540  head. 


1840 
1845 
1850 
1855 
1860 
1865 
1870 
1875 
1880 
1883 


6280 
7150 
14,323 
23,345 
32,318 
58,524 
58,463 
66,763 
92,170 
100,077 


In   1884,  in  accordance  with   a   new   law   of  the 


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THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY  281 


Province  of  Buenos  Aires  to  the   effect  that  every 
township  should  have  an  area  of  not  less  than  three 
square    leagues,   to    be    divided   into    small   lots   for 
cultivation,  20,016  acres  were  expropriated  by  Govern- 
ment from  the  estate,  cut  up  into  blocks  of  125  acres 
each,  and  sold  by  auction  to  the  inhabitants  of  the 
small  town  of  Ajd.     This  reduced  the  area  of  the  run 
to  45,036  acres,  divided  into  two  almost  equal  portions 
by  the  expropriated  land  which  traverses  the  estate 
from  west  to  east.      Of  these  45,000  acres,  36,000  are 
grazing  land  and    the   remaining  9000  are  useless. 
From  1884,  therefore,  the  sheep  stock  became  reduced, 
the    number  varying   now   from    70,000    to    75,000 
head. 

Up  to  1882  the  demand  for  Lincolns  continued 
to  be  small.  But  at  that  date  a  marked  change  took 
place  in  the  tendency  of  the  Argentine  breeders. 
The  merino  stock  throughout  the  south  of  the 
Province  gave  poorer  returns;  mortality  increased; 
fine  wool  fell.  Then  there  came  the  institution  of 
freezing  mutton  and  sending  it  home  to  Europe  for 
sale.  This  was  a  further  blow  for  the  merinos,  the 
wethers  of  that  breed  being  underweio-hted  and  com- 
paratively  valueless  for  the  freezer.  The  demand  for 
Lincolns  set  in.  It  has  increased  steadily  since  then, 
and  even  now,  in  1893,  there  is  no  abatement 
apparent  in  the  rush  after  long -wools.  This  new 
market,  together  with  the  freezing  trade,  solved  a 
problem  which  was  threatening  to  become  a  serious 
one  for  the  "Yngleses."     Tallow  had  fallen  to  23s. 


282 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDIXG  INDUSTRY 


the  cwt.,  and  the  boiling-down  trade  was  no  longer 
the  remunerative  business  it  had  been.  The 
boilers  were  no  longer  necessary,  and  the  surplus 
increase  was  sold  to  breeders  and  freezers  as  soon  as 
it  came  into  the  market. 

A  table  of  ram  sales  will  show  the  change  in  this 
respect.  The  following  figures  correspond  to  the 
entire  turn-over  in  rams  at  the  "  Yngleses  "  from  1839 
to  1892  :— 


Year. 

Price. 

Merino. 

Saxon. 

Eambouillet. 

Lincoln. 

1839-1856 

12s. 

to 

£3 

632 

1856-1865 

£l 

)? 

7 

456 

)5 

2 

5> 

5 

87 

1862-1870 

5) 

8 

196 

1870-1874 

55 

8 

833 

1874-1878 

55 

40 

... 

434 

1878-1882 

55 

40 

1,711 

1882-1888 

55 

40 

5,039 

1888-1892 

103.,, 

45 

4,751 

632 

456 

87 

12,964 

The  amount  of  fine  stock  introduced  to  the 
"Yngleses"  reaches  in  all  1174  head.  Most  of  these 
were  merinos.  The  followino-  list  shows  the  classes 
and  numbers  : — 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


283 


Breed. 

Occasion. 

Date. 

Xumber. 

Merinos   and    Saxonies,    chiefly 

from  the  Electorate 

23 

1835-1859 

755 

Rambouillet    from    the    French 

Imperial  stud 

2 

1856-1859 

7 

Negretti  from  M.  Gilbert's  stud 

1 

1859 

1 

Romney  Marsh 

5 

1856-1863 

74 

Leicester          .... 

1 

■      1858 

5 

Cotswold         ..... 

1 

1862 

5 

Cheviot             .... 

1 

1864 

20 

Highland  Black-face 

1 

1864 

30 

Lincohi  ..... 

15 

1862-1893 

274 

Shropshire       .... 

1 

1864 

3 

51 

1174 

To  comjjlete  these  notes  ujDon  increase,  sales,  and 
purchases,  I  append  a  table  showing  an  extract  from 
twenty-five  years'  stock  movements,  which  serves  to 
establish  the  percentage  of  lambing,  mortality  with 
home  consumption,  and  realisable  increase.  Con- 
densing the  totals  of  capital  and  those  of  sales, 
removals,  and  boilings-down,  we  arrive  at  the  foUow^- 
ing  interesting  summary  : — 


1835.        Capital  of  sheep 
1835-1892.  Introduced  at  various  dates 

,.  General  stock  bought  at  various  dates 


940 
1174 
6730 

8844 

14,139 

Sold  in  general  stock  at  A'arious  dates  333,732 


Total 


1835-1892.   Sold  in  rams  at  various  dates 


1843-1889.   Boiled  down 
1874-1892.  Removed  to  various  estancias 
1892.        Present  count 


191,120 
41,540 
75,000 


Total     655,531 


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2  -< 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDIXG  INDUSTRY 


The  weight  of  wool  has  augmented  considerably. 
In  the  past  ten  years  the  following  has  been  the 
average  return  from,  say,  70,000  sheep  : — 


1883 
1884 
1885 
1886 
1887 


5-14  lbs.  1888  .  6-12  lbs. 

4-95    „  1889  .  5-34    „ 

4-94    „  1890  .  6-45    „ 

5-28    „  1891  .  6-32    „ 

6-05    „  1892  .  6-03    „ 


The  wool  is  very  clean,  and  washes  out  from  58 
to  65  per  cent  of  scoured  wool,  ready  for  the  manu- 
facturer. 

The  "  Yugleses  "  wools  have  been  awarded  prizes  at 
many  of  the  local  and  continental  exhibitions,  among 
which  may  be  mentioned  the  Cordoba  Exhibition  in 
1871,  when  sheep  from  this  place  took  the  only  prize 
awarded  to  long-wools ;  the  Buenos  Aires  Exhibition 
in  1875,  when  a  silver  medal  w^as  awarded  for  wools  ; 
the  Paris  International  Exhibition  in  1889,  when 
a  silver  medal  was  awarded  for  wools ;  and  the 
Buenos  Aires  International  Exhibition,  when  the 
"  Yngleses"  carried  off  the  first  prize  for  long-wools. 
A  large  exhibit  of  fleeces,  locks,  and  sheep-skins  has 
left  this  year  for  the  Columbian  Exposition. 

To  summarise  the  stock-carrying  capacity  of  the 
land  and  values  of  stock  and  produce  : — 

Stock-carrying  capacity  of  the  land. 

Sheep  .  .  75,000  heads 

Cattle  .  .  15,000     „ 

Horses  and  Mares  8,400     „ 

Area,  say  36,000  acres. 

Being  the  equivalent  of  2'75  sheejp  per  acre. 


286  THE  SHEEP-BREEDIXG  INDUSTRY 

Sheej). 

Realisable  increase  per  annum  .  .26  per  cent. 

Value  of  shearling  and  two-shear  wethers  .      12s.  to  15s. 
Value  of  culls  and  aged  ewes     .  .  .      10s.  to  12s. 

Wool. 

Return  per  head,  average  of  3  years,  1890-92      .      .      .       6'28  lbs. 

Value  of  1st  Lincoln  this  year  in  Liverpool,  8d.  to  S^d.  p.  lb.  unwashed 
„       2nd  ,,  „  ,,      Sid.  to8M.  „  „ 

„       3rd  „  „  „        8d.to8id. 

The  number  of  flocks  at  present  on  the  "  Yngleses" 
is  forty-six,  with  a  total  number  of  head  of  about 
75,000.  All  these  sheep  are  of  a  Lincoln  type. 
They  are,  with  few  exceptions,  shepherded,  it  being 
impossible  to  introduce  the  paddock  system  into  lands 
of  the  character  of  "  Los  Yngleses."  The  shepherds 
are  all  paid  on  the  profit-share  system. 

The  type  of  sheep  aimed  at  by  the  breeders  is  one 
of  smaller  size  than  the  Euglish  Lincoln,  and  carrying 
a  finely- w^ooUed  fleece,  lustrous  lock,  and  bearing  the 
same  character  of  wool  all  over  the  body,  the  legs 
and  face  beins;  almost  as  much  covered  with  wool  as 
the  merino.  The  stud  flock  is  composed  of  eighty  to 
a  hundred  ewes,  and  is  served  by  tups  occasionally 
imported  from  England  and  sometimes  bred  on  the 
"  Yngleses."  This  stud  was  only  formed  seven  years 
ao;o,  the  ewes  havinsr  been  selected  from  the  "  Potrero  " 
stud,  which  was  founded,  as  already  stated,  in  1859. 
Ewes  in  this  small  stud  give  up  to  21  lbs.  of  fleece 
wool.  Here  are  bred  the  rams  which  serve  in  the 
first  four  high  -  class  flocks.     In  these  four  are  bred 


IN  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC  287 


the  rams  for  service  in  the  remainder  of  the  flocks. 
Of  the  four,  that  of  the  "  Potrero  "  ranks  highest,  the 
following  two  being  nearly  equal  to  it  in  type.     The 
fourth  is  a  new  stud  formed  entirely  by   selection 
with  a  view  to  stamp  the  special  qualities  aimed  at 
by  the  breeders.      The  four  number  in  all  5500  head, 
and  there  are  ewes  in  all  of  them  which  give  up  to 
17  lbs.  of  fleece  wool.     The  weight  of  ram's  fleeces, 
from  animals  bred  on  the  place,  varies  from  16  up  to 
24  lbs.      There  are  eight  other  first-class  flocks   in 
M-hich  the  ram  progeny  is  reserved  for  sale,  and  a  few 
for  service.      These  flocks   are  but  little  behind  the 
first   mentioned   four   in    type,   and  to    the    general 
observer  there  is  no  difi'erence  apparent  between  them. 
The  introduction  of  Lincolns  in  1865  having  extended 
to  all  the  flocks,  and  the  system   of  cuUintr  havino- 
been  strictly  observed  since  then,  it  is  not  surprising 
that  the  same  type  runs  through  all  the  stock.     It  is 
curious  to  observe  that  occasionally  a  lamb  is  born 
with  all  the  points  of  a  Eomney  Marsh,  though  fully 
ten  generations  must  intervene  between  the  animal 
and  the  original  Eomney  blood ;  and  sometimes  the 
light   colour   of  a  sheep's   eye  indicates  an  atavism 
throwing  back  to  the  merino  blood  of  the  "  fifties." 

The  lambing  season  commences  in  the  month  of 
June,  and  lasts  until  the  end  of  August.  This 
corresponds  to  the  months  of  January  to  March  in 
the  Northern  HemisjDheres.  The  shearing  takes  place 
in  October  and  November,  corresponding  to  April 
and  May  at  home.     The  wethers  are  sold  in  December 


288  THE  SHEEP-BREEDIXG  INDUSTRY 

January,  and  February,  at  the  age  of  eighteen  months, 
and  give  from  58  to  70  lbs.  of  dead  mutton.  The 
remainder  of  the  increase  is  disposed  of  in  sales 
of  rams  to  other  breeders,  and  culled  ewes  to  the 
butcher. 

The  run  is  administered  from  two  head  stations 
situated  at  the  tAvo  ends  of  the  land.  The  first  of 
these,  which  lies  to  the  south,  is  the  original  old 
steadino-  datino^  from  1810.  It  includes  the  boilino-- 
down  department,  the  wool  and  baling  shed,  skin 
shed,  carpenters'  and  coopers'  department,  general 
and  private  dwelling-houses,  dipping  plant,  yards, 
fields  of  lucern,  and  twenty  acres  of  garden  and 
orchard.  Its  surroundinos  are  but  little  changed 
since  1835,  w^hen  Mr.  George  Gibson  described  them ; 
the  woods  are  still  extensive,  but  in  among  the 
indigenous  trees  have  sprung  up  "ombues,"  eucalyptus, 
and  other  imported  species.  In  the  depth  of  winter 
and  early  spring  the  ground  underfoot  in  these 
woods  is  carpeted  with  violets,  brought  many  years 
ago  from  home,  which  have  taken  kindly  to  their 
new  country.  The  stud  stock  roams  at  pleasure 
under  the  trees,  and  now  and  then  a  tame  ostrich 
stalks  leisurely  into  the  open.  There  is  little  here 
to  remind  one  of  the  general  flat  and  uninteresting- 
character  of  the  Pampa  ;  the  landscape  is  broken 
with  the  distant  woods  ;  the  trees  are  full  of  singing 
birds,  and  from  the  lagoons  surrounding  the  station 
come  the  cries  of  the  waterfowl  and  the  deej:)  note 
of  the  black-necked  swan  and  "  chaja." 


IX  THE  ARGENTINE  REPUBLIC 


The  formation  of  the  north  head  station  has  been 
made  necessary  by  the  extension  of  the  township  of 
Ajo,  which  now  divides  the  run  into  two  sections. 
Here  the  pasture  is  better  than  at  the  old  steading, 
and  this  is  taken  advantage  of  for  the  preparation  of 
the  sale  and  service  rams.  These  are  brought  from 
the  flocks  when  weaned,  and  the  annual  turn-over  is 
little  short  of  2000  head.  They  are  placed  in  various 
paddocks  according  to  their  grades,  and  during  the 
winter  they  receive  extra  forage,  principally  chopped 
lucern.  There  are  sheds  for  shearing,  wool  storing, 
etc.,  and  the  steading  covers  in  all  some  fifty  acres, 
exclusive  of  the  paddocks.  In  order  to  increase  the 
supply  of  forage,  lucern  is  being  rapidly  laid  down, 
and  the  crops  are  stacked  and  part  turned  into 
ensilage. 

For  the  home  consumption  of  the  stock  there  are 
450  acres  under  cultivation  on  the  "  Yngleses,"  lucern 
and  maize  being  the  principal  crops  produced.  Lucern 
thrives  exceedingly  well,  and  has  been  known  to  last 
as  long  as  twenty-five  years  without  re-sowing.  Maize 
also  does  well,  and  gives  from  2500  to  3500  lbs.  per 
acre.  Both  this  cereal  and  lucern  are  employed  to  pro- 
vide the  more  valuable  stock  with  winter  supplemen- 
tary forage.  Though  this  district  is  not  adapted  for 
agriculture  as  an  independent  industry,  the  cultiva- 
tion of  a  portion  of  the  soil  for  laying  in  a  store  of 
winter  fodder  has  been  found  to  give  a  profitable 
return.  For  the  purpose  of  supplying  dipping 
material  for  the  sheep,  tobacco  has  also  been  grown 

u 


290  THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 

at  "Los  Yngieses."  The  crop  gathered  from  a  small 
enclosure  gave  10,000  lbs.  upon  one  occasion,  and  the 
dried  leaf,  used  in  the  proportion  of  one  pound  to 
four  gallons  of  water,  had  a  curative  eflfect  upon  the 
scab.  The  soil  is  capable  of  growing  all  the  vegetable 
produce  necessary  to  an  advanced  system  of  stock- 
breeding. 


INDEX 


"  Acacias  "  estate,  aci^  Olivera 
Brothers 

Aguirre,  Juan,  17,  18 

Aragon,  Juan  de,  introduces  Sj)anish 
sheep,  10 

Argentine  Chaco,  38 

Argentine  Republic,  place  in  wool- 
markets  of  the  world,  3  ;  agri- 
culture in,  38,  62  ;  stock-raising 
capacity  of,  39  ;  distribution  of 
sheep,  48,  49  ;  sheep  country 
described,  61  -  63  ;  flora  of,  63- 
66  ;  ease  of  communication  with 
markets,  158,  178 

Argentine  Rural  Society,  193,  198, 
201,  216,  221 

Arsenic,  as  cure  for  foot-rot,  140,  141 

Association  of  Brokers,  172 

Auction  sales,  177,  178 

Australia,  14,  17  ;  wool  compared 
with  that  of  Argentine,  38,  51 

Azul  Fair,  94 

Azul  Rural  Society,  222 

Bahia  Blanca,  94  ;  wool-market  at, 
175 

Balcarce  Fair,  94 

"  Barrancas  "  estate,  see  Reid 

Bizcacha,  prairie  dog,  157  ;  exter- 
mination of,  20 

"Bogus"  companies,  5 

Boiling-down  industry,  30,  31,  33 

Bragado  Fair,  94 

Brokers,  Association  of  Wool,  172, 173 

Bubble  enterprises,  encouraged  by 
English  capitalists,  5 


Buenos  Aires,  21,  41,  58,  97,  145, 
201  ;  natural  advantages  of,  2,  3  ; 
merinos  imported,  10  ;  blockaded, 
18,  30  ;  distribution  of  slieep,  45  ; 
stock-bearing  capacity  of,  38,  45, 
54 ;  rainfall,  46,  230,  261  ;  salt 
plants,  66  ;  price  of  land,  98,  102  ; 
exemption  from  poll-tax  on  stock, 
123  ;  throat- worm  in,  143  ;  wool- 
markets,  170  - 175  ;  draining  pro- 
ject, 185 

Building  materials,  116-118 

Buildings,  120-122;  bricks,  etc.,  for, 
117  ;  cost  of  labour,  118 

Burr,  wool  attacked  by,  21  ;  machine 
for  extracting,  263 

Canadas,  agriculture  in,  62 

Canals,  185,  262 

Canned  meat,  169 

Cape  of  Good  Hope,  merinos  at,  13, 

15,  16 
Carbolic  acid,  cure  for  foot-i'ot,  140, 

141 
"  Carmen  "  estate,  sec  Zeballos 
Carriages,  tax  upon,  123 
Carts,  tax  upon,  123 
Casey,  E.,  "Curainalan"  estate,  235- 

242;  stock,  235,  236 ;  shearing,  237; 

dipping,    238  ;   returns,  238,  239  ; 

rapid  growth  of  the  estate,  240  ; 

carrying  capacity  of,  241 
Cattle,   12,   30,   63  ;   taxation,   123  ; 

at    "Curanialan,"  238,    241;     at 

"Yngleses,"  248,  285 
Central  Market,  173 


U  2 


292 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


Chascomus  Fair,  94,  199  ;  fight  at, 
27 

Chaves,  Nuflo,  9 

Chicago  Exhibition,  205,  209,  285 

Chile,  10 

Chiichu,  see  Weeds,  poisonous 

Cimarron,  prairie  dog,  20,  255 

Civil  war,  effect  on  industry,  3,  4, 16, 
30 

Cleanliness,  importance  of,  138 

Climate,  of  Buenos  Aires,  2, 130, 142, 
145  ;  of  Central  Pampa,  2  ;  of 
sheep  country  generally,  61  ;  of 
"Yngleses,"  246 

Company  purchases  Halsay  flock, 
17  ;  disperses  it,  18 

Constitution  Market  described,  171, 
172 

Cordilleras,  10,  58  ;  comparative  im- 
munity from  scab,  130 

Cordoba,  41,  48,  58,  87,  285  ;  value 
of  land,  98,  102,  103 

Corrientes,  10,  17 

"  Curamalan  "  estate,  see  Casey 

Datjbenton,  M.,  13 
Dipping,  cost  of  bath,  122  ;  construc- 
tion of  bath,   122,  136  ;  cure   for 
scab,   134  ;  mechanical   appliances 
not  satisfactory,  137  ;  the  "  Cura- 
malan"       system,       238  ;        the 
"Yngleses"  system,  259 
Diseases,    general   precautions,    152, 
153  ;  importance  of  healthy  type 
of  animal,  145,  146, 153  ;  sec  also 
Weeds,  poisonous 
Fluke,  symptoms  of,  149  ;  method 
of  propagation,  149,  150  ;  gi'eat 
difficulty   of    cure,    151  ;     some 
suggestions,     151,      152  ;      Dr. 
Pereda  on,  225 
Foot-rot,   35,    53 ;   two   kinds   of, 
139;    effect   of  non-contagious 
variety,    139,    140  ;     treatment 
for,   140  ;     effect   of  contagious 
variety,    141  ;     its    cure,    141  ; 
increases  in  damp  climate,  142 
Scab,   28,    53,   75 ;    causes   of    its 


propagation,  130,  131,  132,  138; 
fostered  by  climate,  130 ;  not 
systematically  treated,  131  ; 
precautions  against,  131,  132, 
259  ;  absurdity  of  the  hand- 
cure,  132-134 ;  dipping,  134-137 ; 
immunity  from,  130,  217,  230, 
236;  at  "Yngleses,"  258,  260; 
Prince  Dorria's  cure  for,  259 
Throat  -  worm,  true  nature  un- 
known, 143  ;  symptoms  of,  143  ; 
propagation  of,  144  ;  requires 
humid  climate,  145  ;  robust 
animals  will  resist  the  disease, 
146  ;  preventive  measures,  146, 
147 ;  cures  for,  148 ;  early 
allusion  to,  260 
Dogs,    attack    sheep,    20,    69,    255  ; 

tax  upon,  124 
Dolores,  94,  256,  257,  261 
Dorria,  Prince,  his  cure  for  scab,  259 
"  Dos  Hermanos  "  estate,  sec  Santa- 
marina  and  Sons 
Drabble    Brothers,    mutton  -  freezing 

establishment,  160,  169 
Drafting  and  culling,  75,  76,  111,  191, 
201  ;    importance  of  suitable  yard 
for,  77,  78 
Draining,    as      precaution      against 
disease,     147,    226  ;      to    reclaim 
marsh  land,   185  ;    advantages  of, 
186 
Dripping  pens,  136  ;  cost  of,  122 
Duraznillo  negro,  see  Weeds,  poison- 
ous 
Dwerhagen,  16,  17 

Entre    Rios,    41,    46,   47,    87,  97  ; 

value  of  land  in,  98,  102,  103 
"  Espartillar  "  estate,  see  Fair 
Eucalyptus  tree,  211,  217 
Evans, George, manager  of  "Negrete" 

estate,  214,  215 
Exports,  early,  11,  12 

Fair,  John,  "Espartillar"  estate, 
215-219  ;  soil,  216  ;  present  stock, 
216,  218  ;  returns,  218,  219 


INDEX 


293 


Fairs,  bi-anuual,  94,  95 
Farm,  administration  of,  60-95 
Federal  government,  induces  specu- 
lation, 4,  5 
Fencing,  118,  119 
Financial  crash,  consequences  of,  5 
Flocks,  value  of  early,  11 
Floods,  260,  261  ;  saving  sheep,  261  ; 

frequency  of,  262 
Floras  Fair,  94 
Fluke,  see  Diseases 
Fodder,  winter,  81 ;  artificial  supplies, 

82-85,  289 
Foot-rot,  sec  Diseases 
France,    13,   14 ;    importations  from 

Imperial  Stud  of,   195,   202,   208, 

212,  274 
Fumigation,  remedy  for  throat- worm, 

148  ;  remedy  for  Romerillo  poison, 

154-156 

Gibson  Brothers,  "Yngleses" 
estate,  242-290  ;  early  history, 
242,  243,  247-270;  soil,  244, 
245  ;  climate,  246 ;  breeding 
of  horses  and  cattle,  248,  285  ; 
head  station,  250,  251,  288,  289  ; 
merinos  introduced,  23,  24,  251, 
254 ;  labour  unobtainable,  256, 
257  ;  diseases,  258-260  ;  floods, 
260-262  ;  rainfall,  262,  264,  265  ; 
boiling  down  sheep,  266,  274,  279  ; 
wool,  268  ;  Romney  Marsh  flock, 
272,  273  ;  Lincolns,  273,  278,  281  ; 
Pampas,  275  ;  changes  in  avooI 
classing,  279,  280  ;  ram  sales,  282  ; 
increase  and  mortality,  283,  284  ; 

:  carrying  capacity,  285  ;  stud,  286, 
287  ;  winter  forage,  289 

Gibson,  Ernest,  277 

Gibson,  George,  247,  278  ;  quoted, 
23 

Gibson,  John,  Jun.,  forms  "Car- 
men "  estate,  243 

Gibson,  Robert  T.,  252,  257,  260, 
272,  278  ;  quoted,  25 

Gibson,  Thomas,  32,  252,  277  ;  and 
General  Rosas,  28 


Gonzalez,  Francisco,  first  exporter  of 
sheep,  11 

Gordon,  Colonel,  15 

Grass,  on  the  Pampa,  64,  65  ;  mow- 
ing as  precaution  against  throat- 
worm,  147  ;  at  "Yngleses,"  246 

Guerrico,  Manuel,  34 

Haedo,  Manuel,  17,  18 

Halsay,  Henry  Lloyd,  33  ;  forms 
first  merino  flock,  15  ;  disperses  it, 
16 

Hannah,  John,  18,  34,  210,  212,  215, 
268 

Harratt  -  Sheridan  stud,  212,  267  ; 
founded,  18  ;  popularity  of,  21  ; 
wool  of,  22 

Hearn,  Thomas,  mechanical  sheep- 
dipping  apparatus  of,  238 

Highland  Scot  Tin  Canning  Com- 
pany, 161  ;  freezing  capacity  of, 
169 

Hoof,  effect  of  foot-rot  upon,  139, 
141  ;  cutting  down  edges  of,  140, 
141 ;  treatment  of,  141,,  142 

Horses,  12  ;  at  "  Curamalan,"  241 ;  at 
"Yngleses,"  248,  285 

Houses,  cost  of,  120-122 

Humphries,  Colonel,  14 

IxGAs,  their  indigenous  sheep,  9 

Indians,  raids  of,  240,  253 

Industry,  retarded  by  civil  wars,  3, 
4,  16,  30  ;  under  federate  govern- 
ment, 4,  5  ;  restricted  by  Spain,  8 

International  Live  Stock  Exhibi- 
tion, 194,  285 

"  Isabel"  estate,  sec  Pereda 

"  Jagueles"  estate,  sec  Newton 
Juan,  Antonio,  first  exports  wool,  11 

Labarden,     M.      J.      de,     imports 

merinos,  15 
Labourers,     19,    74  ;     unobtainable 

during  civil  war,  27,  256  ;  demand 

limited,    87 ;    wages   of,    87,    93  ; 

dwelling-house  for,  121 


J94 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


Lambing,  52,  54,  77,  79,  80,  287 ; 
mortality  in  lambs,  80,  284 

Laud,  sheep  country  described,  61- 
64  ;  fluctuations  in  value,  97  ; 
table  of  values  according  to  dis- 
tance, 98  ;  accuracy  of  Mulhall's 
valuation  disputed,  99-101  ;  prices 
of,  101-103  ;  title-deeds  and  legal 
formalities  of  purchase,  103,  104  ; 
rental,  104,  105 

Liver-worm,  see  Diseases,  Fluke 

Livingstone,  introduces  merino  into 
United  States,  12 

Lorentz,  Professor,  quoted,  62-67 

Loziino,  Karcisso,  34 

Lucern  as  winter  fodder,  84,  289 

Lung  -  worm,  see  Diseases,  Throat- 
worm 

Luro  Brothers,  244 

Macarthur,  Captain,  15 
Maize  as  winter  fodder,  85,  289 
"  Manantiales  "  estate,  see  Pereda 
Markets,    bi-annual    fairs,    94,  95 
Constitution    Market,    171,    172 
Once  de  Setiembre    Market,  172 
Central  Market,  173,  174  ;  at  Bahia 
Blanca,  175  ;  at  Rosario,  176 
Mercedes  Fair,  94 

Mulhall,  M.  G.,  quoted,  26,  47,  49, 
97,  98 ;  his  land  valuation  dis- 
puted, 99-101 
Mutton,  11,  12,  43  ;  consumption 
and  export,  51  ;  price  of,  53,  55  ; 
oflong-wools,  55  ;  of  black-faces,  56 
Mutton  Trade,  Frozen,  37,  43, 
159,  160  ;  importance  as  outlet  for 
surplus  stock,  159,  170 ;  origin, 
159,  160  ;  increase,  160  ;  exports 
in  1892,  161  ;  reasons  for  pros- 
perity, 161  ;  prices  and  exports 
during  last  six  years,  162;  of 
Argentine  and  New  Zealand  con- 
trasted, 163,  164  ;  freezer,  165  ;  kill- 
ing and  freezing  process,  166,  167 

National  Teiiiiitoiiie!?,  value  of  land 
in,  103 


"  Negrete  "  estate,  sec  Shennan 
Nelson's  New  River  Plate  Meat  Com- 
pany, 160;  export  of  mutton,  161 
Nequen,  49  ;  value  of  land  in,  103 
Newton,  Richard,  "  Jagueles  "  estate, 
196-200  ;  career  of  his  father,  197, 
198  ;     publishes    work    on    sheep 
breeding  in  Australia,    198,  199  ; 
founds  Chascomus  Fair,  199  ;  stock, 
199,  200 
New   Zealand,    198  ;    scab  in,   130  ; 
cure    for    lung-worm,     148,    149  ; 
mutton,  162,  163  ;  and  reasons  for 
its  high  price,  163,  164 
"  Nueva  Castilla  "  estate,  see  Pereda 

O'CoxNOK,  John,  and  Company, 
169  ;  export  of  mutton,  161 

Olavarria  Fair,  94 

Olivera  Brothers,  "Remedios"  and 
"Acacias"  estates,  188-192;  origin 
of  stud,  189  ;  weight  of  Avool,  189, 
191  ;  method  of  tending  and  feed- 
ing, 191  ;  weeding  out  tups,  191  ; 
merino  breed  improved,  192 

Olivera,  Domingo,  forms  Olivera 
stud,  189  ;  imports  French  sheep, 
189,  190 

Olivera,  Eduardo,  34,  192  ;  president 
of  Argentine  Rural  Societj^  188  ; 
imports  Negrettis,  189 

Once  de  Setiembre  Market,  172 

Outlay  and  revenue,  table  of,  125 

Paddocks,  advantages  of,  70,  71  ; 
area  and  capacity,  70,  71  ;  cost  of 
fencing,  122 

Pampa  Central,  38,  41  ;  natural  ad- 
vantages of,  2,  3  ;  description  of, 
47  ;  value  of  land  in,  103  ;  free- 
dom from  scab,  130 

Paris  Exliibition,  59 

Pereda,  Dr.,  221-231  ;  carrying  capa- 
city of  his  estates,  221  ;  purity  of 
stock,  221,  222;  "  Isabel "  estate 
described,  222,  223 ;  its  returns, 
224;  "Manantiales"  estate,  fluke 
extirpated,  225,  226  ;  capacity  and 


INDEX 


295 


returns,  226,  227 ;  "  Trece  de  Abril" 
estate,  its  capacity  and  returns, 
228,  229;  "Nueva  Castilla "  and 
"San  Baldomero "  estates  de- 
scribed, 229,  230 

Pereyra,  Leonardo,  17,  195 

Plomer  stud,  34 

Ploughing  land,  precaution  against 
throat-worm,  147 

Prado,  Nunez  del,  9 

Prescott  quoted,  9 

Prices,  106-109 

Puma  exterminated,  256 

Pumpkins  as  winter  fodder,  84 

Purchasing,  season  for,  105 

Railways,  ease  of  communication, 
158,  178  ;  establishment  of  wool 
sheds  on,  176,  182  ;  facility  of  con- 
struction of,  179  ;  tariff  rates,  179- 
182 
Reid,  Patrick,  "  Barrancas  "  estate, 
232-234  ;  soil  and  carrying  capacity, 
232,  233  ;  a  model  sheep-run,  233  ; 
returns,  234 
"Remedios"     estate,      see     Olivera 

Brothers 
Eevieuta  caballo,   see  Weeds,  poison- 
ous 
Revolution  of  1828,  17,  21 
Rio  Colorado,  39 
Rio  Negro,  39 
Rivadavia,  Dr.,  18;  introduces  South 

Downs,  17 
Rirer  Plate,  9,  11,  14;    pastures  de- 
scribed,   26  ;    rarity  of  obnoxious 
weeds,  157 
River  Plate   Fresh  Meat  Co.,    160; 

export  of  mutton,  161 
Roads,    difficulty   of   making,    182  ; 
three  classes  of,  183  ;    condition  in 
winter,  183;    "a  discredit  to  the 
country,"    184  ;    carters'    charges, 
184 
Romerillo,  see  Weeds,  poisonous 
Rosario,  wool  market  of,  176 
Rosas,  Dictator,  22  ;    fight  at  Chas- 
comus,    27  ;    stagnation   of   trade 


under  his  rule,  30,  257  ;  and 
Thomas  Gibson,  31,  32  ;  and 
"Savage  Unitarians,"  32  ;  supplies 
rations  to  the  Indians,  253 

Routine,  yearly,  67-81 

Roxas,  Jose,  17,  18 

Salado  Fair,  94 
Sales,  76,  109-112 

Salt,    a    preventive   against   throat- 
worm,  147,  205 
"San  Baldomero"  estate,  sec  Pereda 
"  San  Felipe  "  estate,  sec  Senillosa 
San  Nicolas  Fair,  94 
Sansinena  and  Co.,  160,  166  ;  factory 

described,  166 
Santa   Cruz   territory,    38,    39,    47  ; 

value  of  land  in,  103 
Santa  Fe,   41,   58,  87,   97,    99  ;    de- 
scribed, 46  ;    value  of  land  in,  98, 
102,  103 
Santamarina  and  Sons,  "  Hermanos" 
estate,  219-221  ;    soil,  219  ;    build- 
ings, 219,  220  ;  stud,  220 
Scab,  see  Diseases 
Scott,  Charles,  quoted,  86 
Sea  air,  effect  on  wool,  51,  52 
Selection,    physical,    importance    of, 

153 
Senillosa,  Felipe,"Ycnado"  estate,  200- 
206 ;   Rambouillet  flock,  201,  202  ; 
and  its  returns,  202  ;  Lincoln  stud, 
returns  from,  203  ;    food  of  stock, 

204  ;  increase  and  mortality  tables, 

205  ;  exhibits  at  Chicago,  205 
Senillosa,  Pastor,  "San  Felipe"  estate, 

206-209  ;  breeds  Rambouillets  only, 
207,  209  ;  carrying  capacity  of 
land,  207  ;  returns,  208  ;  exhibits 
at  Chicago,  209 

Shearing,  begins,  71 ;  plan  of  yard  for, 
72  ;  wages,  72,  74,  270  ;  machines, 
75  ;  Barigaud  machine,  220 ;  at 
"Curamalan,"  237;  at  "Yngleses," 
287 

Sheds,  cost  of,  121 

Sheep,  Cheviot,  43,  274 
Cotswold,  42,  273 


296 


THE  SHEEP-BREEDING  INDUSTRY 


Sheep,  Criollo,  described,  13  ; 
crossed  with  merino,  19 

Leicester,  introduced,  36,  273  ; 
crossed  with  Rambouillet,  213 

Lincoln,  introduced,  36  ;  crossed 
with  merino,  36  ;  popularity  of 
the  cross,  36,  37,  42  ;  wool  of, 
42 ;  carcase  of,  43  ;  superior 
constitution  of,  54,  146  ;  weight 
and  value  of  wool,  54,  55  ;  and 
of  animal,  55,  lOS,  109  ;  favour- 
able conditions  for  breeding,  57  ; 
Dr.  Zeballos's  stud,  195  ;  Mr. 
Newton's  stud,  200  ;  Senor  Sen- 
illosa's  stud,  203  ;  Mr.  Shen- 
nan's  stud,  213 ;  Mr.  Fair's 
stud,  218  ;  Messrs.  Santamar- 
ina's  stud,  220  ;  Dr.  Pereda's 
stud,  223,  226,  229  ;  Mr.  Reid's 
stud,  233;  Messrs.  Gibson's  stud, 
274,  286 

Long-wools  introduced,  35,  36 

Merino,  imported,  9,  10,  15  ;  Hal- 
say  stud,  15,  16  ;  Harratt-Sheri- 
dan  stud,  18,  21,  22,  212,  267  ; 
crossed  with  Criollo,  19 

Mestizo,  19,  41 ;  at  "  Yngleses,"  23- 
25,  251,  254  ;  crossed  with  long- 
wools,  42  ;  wool  compared  with 
that  of  Australia,  51 ;  weight  and 
value  of  wool,  52,  268,  269  ;  and 
of  animal,  52,  53,  269  ;  injured 
by  damp  climate,  146 

Negretti,  57,  189,  201  ;  imported, 
22  ;  Argentine  Negretti,  34  ;  in- 
jured by  damp  climate,  142  ; 
Mr.  Shennan'sstud,  212;  crossed 
with  Saxonj%  274 

Oxfordshire  Down,  imported,  44  ; 
inferior  quality  of  wool,  56  ; 
crossed  with  South  Down,  196 

Pampa,  described,  13  ;  crossed  with 
Lincoln,  275 

Rambouillet,  57,  217,  233  ;  crossed 
with  Negretti,  33  ;  crossed  with 
Vermont,  41  ;  favourable  condi- 
tions for  breeding,  58  ;  price  of 
tups,    109  ;     injured    by    damp 


climate,  142;  Studs  —  Messrs. 
Olivera's,  189,  190 ;  Dr. 
Zeballos's,  195 ;  Senor  Sen- 
illosa's,  201  ;  Don  Pastor 
Senillosa's,  208  ;  Mr.  Shennan's, 

212  ;      crossed   with    Leicester, 

213  ;  Mr.  Fair's,  its  success 
in  competitions,  217 ;  Messrs. 
Santamarina's,  220  ;  Dr. 
Pereda's,  223,  226,  230,  231  ; 
Mr.  Reid's,  233 

Romney  Marsh,  42  ;  imported,  36  ; 

Messrs.  Gibson's  stud,  272,  273 
Saxony,  14  ;  imported,  22 ;  Messrs. 

Gibson's     stud,     267 ;     crossed 

with  Negretti,  274 
Shropshire,  56,  274 
South      Down,      imported,      17  ; 

crossed  with  native   sheep,   17, 

44 ;   quality   of  wool,    56  ;   and 

damp       climate,       146 ;       Dr. 

Zeballos's    stud,    195  ;     crossed 

with  Oxfordshire,  196 
Vermont,  crossed  with  Rambouillet, 

41 
Sheep,  indigenous,  9  ;  neglect  of,  12, 

19  ;  killed  by  wild  dogs,  20,  21 
Sheep  -  breeding,    retarded    by    civil 
war,    3,   4,    8,   9,  16,  30  ;  fostered 
under  federate  government,  4,  5  ; 
dithculties  of  jiioneers,  7,  20,  21, 
23,  27,  30,  32,  240,  243,  253,  254  ; 
restricted  by  Spain,  7,  8 ;   revives 
in     Europe,    13  ;     South    Downs 
introduced,    17 ;     merino    crossed 
with  criollo,    19,  23-25 ;   advances 
in,  33-35 
Sheep  trade,  prosperity  of,  38,  39 
Shennan,  D.  A.,  "  Negrete  "  estate, 
209-215  ;  poverty  of  soil,  210,  211  ; 
carrying    capacity,    211  ;      stock, 
212,  213  ;    returns,  214  ;   manager 
of,  214 
Shepherds,  19,  276  ;  wages'of,  67,  68, 
88-91,  286  ;  duties  of,  68,  69,  90  ; 
admitted     as     shareholders,     92 ; 
house  for,  122 
Shepherding,  67-69,  90,  276,  286 


INDEX 


297 


Skins,  prices  of,  115,  159  ;  tax  upon, 
124 

Soil,  suitable,  57,  58,  60-62,  67 

Spain,  discourages  sheep  -  breeding, 
7  ;  export  of  merinos  from,  13 

Spooner,  W.  C,  quoted,  150 

Station,  head,  described,  93,  94 

Stegman,  Claudio,  34 

Stock,  in  relation  to  soil,  152  ;  out- 
let for  surplus,  159-170 

Studs,  see  Sheep 

Sulphur,  as  ingredient  of  sheep-dip, 
137 

Tallow,  30,  31,  33,  168  ;  price  of, 

116,  159,  266,  281 
Tandil  Fair,  94 
Taxation,  123,  124 
Throat-worm,  see  Diseases 
Tobacco,  as  sheep-dip,  137,  289 
Transit,  see  Railwaj-s  and  Roads 
"Trece  de  Abril  "  estate,  see  Pereda 

United  States,  merinos  imported, 
14  ;  effect  of  protection  tariff,  33 

Valle,  Colonel  del,  257,  258 
"Venado"  estate,  see  Senillosa,  Felipe 

Weddel  and  Co.,  on  New  Zealand 

and  Argentine  mutton,  162,  163 
Weeds,  poisonous — 

Chuchu,  invariably  fatal,  156,  157 

Duraznillo  negro,  157 

Revienta  caballo,  157 

Romerillo,  appearance  of,  153  ; 
effect  upon  sheep,  154  ;  pre- 
cautions against,  154,  155  ;  used 
by  horse-doctors,  156 


Weights  and  measures,  127,  128 

Wet  seasons,   disease  developed  by, 
35  ;   sec  also  Diseases 

Wheel  tax,  123 

Whitfield,      Mr.,     founds      merino 
flock,  18 

Wire-fencing,  construction  and  cost, 
118,  119  ;  introduced,  198,  263 

Wool,  first  exportation,  11 ;  attacked 
by  burrs,  21  ;  early  prices,  26,  33  ; 
improvement  in  quality,  33  : 
average  value,  38  ;  the  Lincoln 
fleece,  42  ;  present  state  of  produc- 
tion, 49,  50;  exjjorts,  50,  170: 
compared  with  Australian  wool, 
51  ;  effect  of  sea  air  on  merino 
wool,  51,  52  ;  present  prices,  52, 
113,  114  ;  prizes  at  Paris  Exhibi- 
tion, 59  ;  storing,  73,  74,  176  : 
demand  for  cross  wools,  112  ;  tax 
upon,  124  ;  system  of  sales,  177  ; 
need  for  classification  of,  177,  178  ; 
cost  of  transit,  185;  at  "  Cura- 
malan,"  237,  241  ;  at  "Yngleses," 
252,  268-270,  285,  286.  See  also 
Sheep 
Wool-brokers,  Association  of,  172, 173 


Yard,  cost  of,  122 
"Yngleses"      estate, 
Brothers 


see      Gibson 


Zarate,  Juan  de.  Viceroy,  10 
Zeballos,  Dr.,  28,  190;  quoted,  11  ; 
his  book  Across  the  Sheep  Studs, 
193;  his  career,  193,  194;  "Car- 
men "  estate,  194-196 ;  origin  of 
stud,  194,  195;  prize-winners, 
195 


Printed  by  R.  &  R.  Clark,  Edinburgh. 


THE  BUENOS  AYRES 
GREAT  SOUTHERN  RAILWAY. 


OFFICES: 
LONDON      ...  7  FIXSBURY  CIRCUS,  E.C. 

BUEXOS  AYRES  .  PLAZA  CONSTITUCIOX. 

CAPITAL,   £12,000,000.  BORROWING  POWERS,   £6,000,000. 

PRESENT   LENGTH  OF  LINE,   1388  MILES. 


This  important  railway  connects  the  city  of  Buenos  Ayres,  the  principal 
city  of  the  Argentine  Republic,  its  southern  suburbs,  and  the  city  of  La 
Plata,  the  capital  of  the  large,  rich,  and  populous  province  of  Buenos  Ayres, 
with  the  important  jjort  of  Bahia  Blanca,  the  fashionable  watering-place  of 
Mar  del  Plata,  and  the  leading  towns  in  the  province,  including  Canuelas. 
Lobos,  Saladillo,  Chascomus,  Dolores,  Maipu,  Tandil,  Juarez,  Xecochea,  Tres 
Arroyos,  Azul,  Olavarria,  and  Curumalan,  and  with  all  the  principal  wlieat 
and  wool-growing  districts  of  the  province  of  Buenos  Ayres. 

Diligences  and  steamers  connect  Bahia  Blanca  with  the  principal  towns 
and  ports  of  Patagonia  and  the  south  of  the  Argentine  Republic.  The 
extensions  just  completed  connect  all  the  southern  ports  and  towns  of  the 
province  of  Buenos  Ayres  with  the  cities  of  Buenos  Ayres  and  La  Plata, 
which  are  the  national  and  provincial  capitals.  All  possible  conveniences 
fur  travellers,  including  well-appointed  restaurants,  lavatories,  etc.  etc.,  are 
to  be  found  at  the  Buenos  Ayres  terminus  in  the  Plaza  Constitucion,  which 
is  reached  by  cheap  lines  of  tramcars  from  all  parts  of  the  city.  The 
arrangements  at  the  different  stations  are  in  all  respects  equal  to  those  on 
tirst-class  English  railways,  and  the  fares  are  lower  than  un  the  generality  of 
tlie  lines  in  the  United  Kingdt)m. 

Sleeping  cars — dormitorios — fitted  with  all  modern  appliances,  are 
attached  to  all  trains  travelling  at  night,  and  separate  compartments  are 
always  reserved  in  the  ordinary  carriages  and  in  the  dormitorios  for  the  use 
of  ladies. 

LOCAL    COMMITTEE. 

Sexor  Dox  GUILLERMO  WHITE,  Chairman. 
W.  H.  WATSON,  Esq.  |  J.  B.  WANKLYN.  Esq. 

General  Ma)U(ger.—¥.  W.  BARROW,  Esq. 

Eesident  E mjincer.—S.  G.  H.  BARFIELD.  Esq. 

Locomotive  Superintendent.— ROBERT   GOULD,  Esq. 

For  all  further  infurniation  a]i]ily  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Company,  Mr. 
II.  C.  Allex,  at  the  Ottict  s,  7  Finsbury  Circus,  Londun,  E.C.,  or  to  the 
General  Manager  at  Plaza  Constitucion,  Buenos  Ayres. 

I 


ACROSS  SOUTH  AMERICA. 

DIRECT  ROUTE  BETWEEN  BUENOS  AIRES  (CENTRAL 
STATION)  AND  THE  ANDINE   PROVINCES. 

BUENOS  AIRES  AND  PACIFIC  RAILWAY. 

This  Line  with  its  connections  traverses  the  Provinces  of  Buenos  Aires,  Santa 
Fe,  Cordoba,  San  Luis,  Mendoza,  and  San  Juan,  and  connects  tlie  city  of  Buenos 
Aires  by  means  of  the  Argentine  Great  Western  and  Transandine  Railways  with 
Valparaiso  in  Chile.  With  the  exception  of  a  link  through  the  Andes  of  about  44 
miles  in  length,  the  whole  distance  can  be  accomplished  by  railway. 

From  the  fertile  alluvial  plains  of  Buenos  Aires  to  the  vine-growing  uplands  of 
Mendoza,  all  classes  of  land  are  ojjened  up  bj^  this  Railway,  and  every  facility  is 
given  by  the  Management  to  intending  settlers.  Particulars  as  to  Colonies,  Rates, 
etc.,  can  be  obtained  at  the  General  Office,  25  De  Mayo  277,  Buenos  Aires. 

Through  Sleeping  Carriages,  of  the  most  modern  type,  run  from  Buenos 
Aires  to  ^lendoza  and  San  ,Juan.  and  restaurant  cars  where  required. 

Goods  traffic  is  received  at  Palermo  and  Retire  stations  in  Buenos  Aires,  for  all 
stations  of  Pacific.  Argentine  Great  Western.  Andine  and  Villa  Maria  and  Rufino 
Lines,  and  desjiatched  to  destination  by  quick  trains. 

THROUGH  BOOKINGS  TO  VALPARAISO  DURING  THE  SUMMER  MONTHS, 

FROM  BUENOS  AIRES  OR  FROM  ENGLAND  BY  ROYAL  MAIL 

STEAM  PACKET  COMPANY. 


Offices:  25  DE  MAYO   277.  BUEXOS  AIEES. 


THE 

SANTA  F^  LAND  COMPANY,  LIMITED, 

ESTANCIA  SAN  CRISTOBAL,   PROVINCE   OF  SANTA  F^, 
ARGENTINE   REPUBLIC. 

LAND  FOR  CATTLE  AND  SHEEP  FARMING. 

This  Company  owns  an  extent  of  fertile  land  larger  than  the  CVnnty  of 
Yorkshire,  in  the  Province  of  Santa  Fe,  comprising  Loth  wooded  and  open 
country.  San  Cristobal  i.s  a  station  upon  thk  Xortherx  Colon iks 
Eailway  of  Santa  Fe,  and  Lands  are  being  settled  for  Agriculture, 
Townships  formed,  and  tracts  fenced  for  Cattle-rearing  and  Sheep- 
farming.  A  considerable  population  is  established  in  the  Colonies  of  San 
Cristobal,  Xanducita,  Algoita,  Portngalete,  Santnrce,  and  Polvadera. 

The  Company's  Superintendent  at  The  Estancia  San  Cri.-^tobal  will 
afford  every  information  as  to  Sales  by  Deferred  Instalments  or 
Leases  of  Land,  and  the  Estancia  itself  (established  in  1883)  gives  the  best 
evidence  of  the  (piality  of  the  land,  and  its  capabilities  for  cattle  and  sheep 
farming,  and  agriculture. 

London  Office  :  DASHWOOD  HOUSE,  LONDON,  E.G. 

2 


The  River  Plate  Trust,  Loan,  &  Agency  Company,  Ltd. 

CAPITAL.      .  .     £1,875,000. 

"A"  Shares  £1,500,000  all  subscribed,  of  lohich  £300,000  called  up. 

"  B"  Shares  £Z75,Q00ficlly  jmid  vp. 
Borrowing  Poiuers  limited  to  the  amount  unccUlcd  on  the  '•'  A  "  Shares. 

TRUSTEES. 
JOHN  FAIK,  E.>^Q. 
Hon.  SYDNEY  HERBERT,  M.T.     |  FRANK  PARISH,  Esq. 

DIRECTORS. 
JOHN  MORRIS,  Esq.,  Chairman. 
J.  H.  DUNCAN,  Esq.  I  c.  J.  GUNTHER,  Esq. 

THOS.  FARRELL,  Esq.  R.  J.  NEILD    Esq 

A.  J.  FITZ  HUGH,  Esq.  j  WILLIAM  WILSON,  Esq. 

BuEXos  Ayiies— Office  :  423  Calle  Rivadavia. 
Manager.— Y.  H.  CHEYALLIER  BOUTELL,  Esq. 


The  Company  makes  loans  on  mortgage  of  real  estate,  and  undertakes  all  kinds  of 
Agency  business  in  the  River  Plate,  especially  in  the  following  cases  :— Representa- 
tion of  Comjmnies,  Trustees  for  Debenture  Issues,  Service  of  Loans.  Atreucies  of 
Estates,  etc.  '      ° 

Full  information  can  be  obtained  on  application  to  the  Head  Office,  No.  52 
MooRGATE  Sti:eet,  London,  E.C. 

JAMES  ANDERSON,  Manager  and  Secrctarij. 


COMPANIA  SANSINENA  DE  CARNES  CONGELADAS. 


TRADE        S        MARK 


Obtained  the  "GRAND  PRIX"  at  the 

PARIS  EXHIBITION  1889, 

being  the  highest  award  for  frozen  mutton, 


HEAD    OFFICE 
523,  CALLE  PIEDAD,  BUENOS  AYRES. 


BRANCHES  AND  STORES  AT 

LONDON.  LIVERPOOL. 

PARIS.  HAVRE. 

DUNKIRK.  PANTIN. 
3 


J.  &  £.  HAIili,  Limited, 

DARTFORD,  ENGLAND. 
PATENT  CARBONIC  ANHYDRIDE 

REFRIGERATING  MAGHINERY 

FOR 

FREEZING  MEAT,   MAKING  ICE,  ETC.   ETC. 

AS  USED  ON  BOARD 
SS.  "Highland  Chief"  8S.  "Highland  Glen." 

„    "  Highland  Lassie  "  ,,    "Doric" 

„    "  Highland  Mary  "  „     "  Gothic  " 

And  21  other  Steamers. 


ALSO  FOR  FREEZING  MEAT  AT  THE 

NORTH  BRITISH  AND  HAWKES  BAY  FEEEZIXG  CO.,   XAPIEE,  K.Z. 

XELSOX  BROTHERS,  TOMOAXA,   N.Z. 

CANTERBURY  FROZEN  MEAT  COMPANY,  CHRISTCHUKCH,  N.Z. 


ABSOLUTE  SAFETY.         NO  POISONOUS  GASES.         HIGHEST  ECONOMY. 


ESTABLISHED    OYER    FIFTY    YEARS. 


THOMAS    BIGG'S 

SHEEP    DIP 


AND 


SCAB    SPECIFIC. 


For  terms,  etc.,  apply  to 

LEICESTER  HOUSE,    GREAT    DOVER    STREET, 
BOROUGH,  LONDON,  ENGLAND. 


A  LOS  ESTANCIEROS. 


TRADE    MARK. 


HAYWARD'S    DIP 

Has  been  used  in  the  River  Plate  ever  since  the  year 
1865,  has  cured  millions  of  sheep  annually  of  scab,  thus 
Ijenefiting  the  sheep  and  the  pocket  of  the  sheep-farmer 
by  increasing  quantity  of  wool.  It  has  seen  the  Jiatural 
death  of  many  other  badly -made  Sheep  Dips,  and 
HAYWARD'S  has  never  been  beaten  in  any  competi- 
tion, either  in  Tasmania  or  elsewhere,  and  now  holds  its 
own  in  the  front  rank  of  merit  as  the  best  remedy  for 
scab  in  the  world. 
Thousands  of  testimonials  from  all  parts.       Names  on  application. 


TOMLINSON  &  HAYWARD, 

Mint   Street   Works,    Lincoln,    England, 


ESTABLISHED     1842. 


One  of  the  oldest  Sheep-Dip  Manufacturers  in  the  "World. 

5 


FOR    SHEEP    AND    LAMBS. 

A  BOON  TO  FLOCKMASTERS.   "  NEVER  USED  IN  VAIN." 

USED  REGULARLY  AMONG   THE  FLOCKS  OF 

HER  MAJESTY  THE  QUEEN  AND  H.R.H.  THE  PRINCE  OF  WALES, 

The  ROYAL  AGRICULTURAL  COLLEGE,  Cirencester,  hj  noted  Sheep 

Breeders  in  all  ixirts  of  the  world,  and  supiilied  to  Colonial  Government 

Departments  of  Agriculture. 

"WORTH  ITS  WEIGHT  IN  GOLD."— Professor  Buckman,  F.G.S. 

PETTIFER'S 

"HERBAL  TONIC"  OR 


'^FLOCKMASTER'S   FRIEND. 


99 


Registered  in  Great  Britain,  America,  Australia,  etc. 

A  safe  and  certain  remedy  and  preventive  for  Tapeworms  and  all  Stomach  and 
Intestinal  Worms,  Lungworm,  Husk  or  Hoose,  Fevers,  Scour  or  Diarrhcea,  Dysentery 
and  Debility.  The  standard  Sheep  medicine.  The  safest,  surest,  and  most  potent 
preparation  of  its  kind,  and  may  be  used  at  any  time  or  in  any  climate. 

Exhibitors  and  Breeders  will  find  its  occasional  use  to  he  accompanied  xoitli  tvonder- 
ful  results  in  ''getting  up"  animals  for  exhibition  or  sale,  and  that  they  thrive  much 
quicker  than  under  ordinary  circiomstances. 

Prescribed  by  Veterinary  Surgeons. 

For  Scour  in  Calves,  and  Weakness  and  Debility  in  Cattle,  it  is  invaluable. 

In  Bottles  at  5s.  each,  containing  from  30  to  40  doses  for  lambs,  ivith 
full  directions  for  tise.  To  suit  the  requirements  of  large  consumers  it  is 
hulked  hi  special  Drums  for  export  only  as  folldws  : — 1  gallon  (160  to 
240  dose.s),  £1;  2  gaUo7is,  £-2;  6  gallons,  is  :  10s.  ;  12  gallons,  £10. 
Dose  bottles  free. 

Sole  Proprietors  and  Manufacturers  : 

STEPHEN  PETTIFER  AND  SON. 

Firm— STEPHEN  PETTIFER  (Original  Proprietor) ;  T.  VALENTINE 
PETTIFER,  F.R.C.V.S.,  Lond.,  etc. 


'"^^"^  Established  30  Years.     MALMESBURY,  WILTS,  ENGLAND. 

Buenos  Aires  Representative  : 

JUAN  LEAN,  195  Reconquista. 

Illustrated  Pampiilkt,  with  full  particulars  and  unimpeachable  testimony  as 
to  sterling  worth  from  noted  Sheep  Breeders  all  over  the  world,  free  on  application. 


52    MEDALS   AND    OTHER   AWARDS. 


JEYES'  SHEEP  DIP. 

(NON- POISONOUS) 

Is  used  extensively  in  all  Sheep  Districts  throughout  the  World. 


It    has    no  rival  for   efficacy 

and  convenience  in  use.     It 

mixes    with     cold  or 
warm    water. 


Cures   Foot   and 
Mouth  Disease,  Foot  Rot, 
Scab,    and     all    diseases    to 
which   Sheep   are   subject. 

Mix    1    Gallon   with   80 
Gallons   of  Water  to   dip    100   Sheep. 

NON-POISONOUS. 


HEAD  OFFICE :  43  CANNON  STREET,  LONDON,  E.C. 


AGENCIES  THROUGHOUT  THE  U'OBLD. 

7 


MANUFACTURERS     OF     MANURES 

By  Special  .-^^E^^         To  Her  Majesty 

Appointment        ^i^^^^^  The  Queen. 

ODAMS'     MANURES. 

They  have  been  used  on  the  Royal  Farms  for  over  Forty  Years. 

The  Annual  ^laimfactiire  and  Sale  apinoaclies  50,000  Tons.      They  are  sold  Ly 

Guaranteed  Analyses.     They  are  Dr}-  and  Friable  in  condition,  thus  ensuring  an 

equal  Distribution  in  the  Soil  and  the  best  results. 


ODAMS'    IMPROVED  FLUID 

SHEEP  DIP, 

Cattle  Wash,  and  Cleanser. 

NON-POISONOUS,  RELIABLE,  UNIFORM. 

ODAMS'  POWDER  DIP. 

POISONOUS.— QUALITY  IMPROVED  AND  GUARANTEED. 

MANUFACTURED    BY 

ODAMS'  MANURE  AND  CHEMICAL 

COMPANY,  LIMITED.' 

CAPITAL  PAID  UP,  £200,000. 

listablished  1855  by  Tenant-Farmers  occupying  upwards  of  150,000  acres  of  Land.) 


DIRECTORS. 

Cliuirvutn — CHARLES  DORMAN,  Lawrie  Park,  Sydenham,  Kent. 

Deputy  Chairman — J.  CARTER  JONAS,  The  Grange,  Great  Shelford,  Games. 

.lOHN  COLLINS,  Bush  Hill,  Wineliinore  Hill,  j  MARTIN     SLATER,    Westou    Colville,    Caiii- 

Miildlesex.  bridgesliire  (Fanner). 

RICHARD    HUNT,  Culver  Lodge,  Much  Had- '  ROBERT     BEVERLEY     LEEDS,     Castleacie, 

liam.  Herts.  (Farmer).  1  Norfolk  (Fanner). 

.J()NASWEBB,MHUonRoss,Barnetby  Junction,  I  GARRET    TAYLOR,    Trowse   Hou.se,   Norwich 
Lincolnshire  (Farmer).  '  (Farmer). 

THOMAS  ALFRED  SPENCER,  Clavering  Hall,  Newport,  Essex  (Farmer). 


Genend  Moiifuirr  :  V.  T.   MACADAM,  F.C.S.  SecrHary :  HENRY  CLAYDEN. 


Chief  Office:  116  FENCHURCH  STREET,   LONDON. 


MANUFACTORY  : 

Odams'  Wharf,  Victoria  Docks,  E. 


BRANCH  OFFICES  : 

County  Chambers,  Queen  St.,  Exeter. 


Hfiinch  Mit II (ifactury .\Eh{ori\,  Toiisham,  Devonshire. 
liranch  Manager :  J.  P.  Ripi'ON. 

For  Prices  and  Agencies  in  unrepresented  Districts,  WRITE  TO  THE  SECRETARY. 


JUBILEE 


OF 


COOPER'S  DIPPING  POWDER 

1893. 


FIFTY  YEARS  OF  PHENOMENAL  SUCCESS. 

ITS    ACHIEVEMENTS. 

It    has   practically    cleaned    an    entire    district    in    South 
Africa  of  Scab. 

It  is  the  Government  Scab  Remedy  in  Western  Australia. 
It  is,  and  has  always  been,  at  the  Head  of  Proprietary  Dips 

on  the  Government  list  at  Cape  Colony. 
It  is  used  by  the  Queen  and  the  British  Government,  by  the 

great  Tasmanian  Stud  Breeders,  and  by  the  principal 

ROYAL  SHOW  WINNERS  &  BREEDERS  IN  GREAT  BRITAIN. 

The  highest-priced  AVools  in  the  London  Wool  Market  for 
years  past  have  always  been  Cooper  Dipped. 

ITS  SALES  HAVE  INCREASED  EVERY  YEAR. 

It  is  now  used  on  100  millions  of  sheep  annually,  or  more 
than  all  other  Dips  combined. 

THE    EXPLANATION. 

BECAUSE    IT    IS    ADMITTEDLY 

THE  BEST  DIP  AT  EVERY  POINT 

IN  THE  MARKET. 

Agents  for  Buenos  Aires:  WANKLYN,  CRANE,  &  CO., 

CALLE  MAIPU,   26.5. 

Monte  Video:  CARLISLE,  SMITH,  &  CO. 

9 


THREE     POINTS 

IN    FAVOUR    OF 

ALEX.  ROBERTSON'S 

HIGHLAND   SHEEP  DIP 

1st.  EFFICIENCY.— Each  15  lb.  HIGHLAND  SHEEP  DIP 

equals  in  strength  10  lb.  Yellow  Powder  iJip,  and  2  gallons 
Soluble  Fluid  Dip,  combined.  The  guaranteed  formula  of  the 
composition  is  printed  on  every  package. 

Sax  Caklo.';,  Falkland  Isles,  2Uh  June  1892. 
I  am  pleased  to  see  your  Highland  Sheep  Dip  so  highly  written  of  in  the 
Farming  World.     I  am  very  well  satisfied  with  it.     I  had  a  good  deal  of  Scab  last 
year.     I  am  glad  to  say  I  have  none  tliis,  although   I   dipped  with  it  under  the 
strength  you  recommend  for  "Winter  Dipping.     Please  send  me  Six  Tons,  etc.  etc. 

W.  KEITH  CAMEEON. 

2nd.  ECONOMY.— 15  lb.  HIGHLAND  SHEEP  DIP,  cost- 
ing 6s.  6d,,  will  make  100  gallons  of  the  strongest  Scab  Bath, 
to  equal  which  will  take  2  gallons  Soluble  Fluid,  costing  10s., 
and  10  lb.  Yellow  Powder,  costing  5s. 

Buck,  Cabrach,  Rhynie,  Ith  September  1892. 
I  have  much  pleasure  in  giving  you  a  good  testimonial  for  your  Highland  Sheep 
Dip.     I  made  it  the  strength  j'ou  name,  and  found  it  did  its  work  thoroughly  well, 
with  no  bad  effects  ;  in  fact,  it  is  the  best  and  clieapest  I  have  yet  tried,  etc.  etc. 

J.  T.  DUNCAN. 

^rcl.  UTILITY. — Ordinary  Arsenical  Dips  convert  the  yolk  of 
the  wool  into  soap,  leaving  the  fleece  harsh  and  dry,  and  much 
lighter  in  weight.  The  Patent  Authorities  admit  the  claim  that 
the  HIGHLAND  DIP  is  free  from  this  defect.  Carbolic  or  Tar 
Acid  Dips  (Soluble  Fluids)  are  evaporated  in  a  few  days  from 
the  fleece  by  the  heat  of  the  sheep's  body  and  the  action  of  the 
atmosphere.  The  insecticides  in  the  HIGHLAND  DIP  are 
"  fixed "  in  the  wool  by  the  peculiar  combination  of  its 
ingredients. 

"Robertson's  HIGHLAND  SHEEP   DIP   fulfils  every  condition  demanded  by 
the  United  States  Government." — Vidr  Wood's  Sheej}  Dij>ping,  third  edition. 

Furtlier  iiartieulars  from  the  sole  malrr, 

ALEX.    ROBERTSON,    Chemist, 

ARGYLE   CHEMICAL  WORKS,  OBAN,  N.B. 


Agents  :  Maccallum  &  Co.,  252  Avenida  de  Mayo,  Buenos  Aires. 
Messrs.  Braun  &  Blanchard,  Punta  Arenas. 
A.  A.  Bowman,  Valparaiso. 

lO 


M^DOUGALLS 

SHEEP    DIP 


AND 


CATTLE    DRESSING 


(NON-POISONOUS). 


IMfDTOMlLS 


La  Oveja  mal  Cuidada. 
Neglected  Merino. 


OX 


La  Oveja. 
The  Remedy. 


SHEEP,  CATTLE,  HORSES 

Goats,  Dogs,  Ostriches,  Poultry,  &c. 

SCAB  AND  INSECT   EXTERMINATOR. 

THE  FIEST  AND   OKIGINAL  NOX-POISONOUS  DIP. 

Is  a  true  specific  for  Scab 

Exterminates  all  Insects  on  ALL  ANIMALS 

Protects  from  Flies  of  all  kinds 

Heals  all  Sores  and  Wounds 

Finally  Stimulates  the  Growth  of  Wool 

Ensures  Efficiency  with  perfect  safety 

FREE  FROM  THE  DANGERS  AND  INJURIOUS  EFFECTS  OF  POISONOUS  DIPS. 
In  Drums  of  5  &  10  galls.,  and  Casks  50  gaUs. 

LONDON  :  10  Mark  Lane 

AND  AT 
// /y  ^   ^^-^  NEW  YORK,  BUENOS  AYRES. 

C/TX^C^OC^^^^^  CJC^  MELBOURNE  &  DUNEDIN. 

From  Merchants  and  Storekeepers. 


^J- 


THE 


HASLAM  FOUNDRY  AND 

ENGINEERING  GGMPANY,  LIMITED, 


IXCOKPORATED    WITH 


PONTIFEX  &  ^fiTOOD, 

UNION  FOUNDRY,  DERBY,  ENGLAND. 


MAKERS  OF 

THE  HASLAM  DRY-AIR 

REFRIGERATOR, 

USED  BY  ALL  THE  LEADING  MEAT  COMPANIES  AND 
SHIPOWNERS  IX  ALL  PARTS  OF  THE  WORLD. 


MAKERS  OF 

THE  DE  LA  VERGNE  AND  PONTIFEX  AMMONIA 
REFRIGERATOR. 

For  use  in  Breweries,  Bacon-Curing  Factories,  Chemical  Works, 
Chilling  and  Freezing  Meat,  and  for  making  Transparent  and 
Opaque  Ice -blocks  from  28  lbs.  to  10  cwts.  each,  and  in 
quantities  from  10  cwts.  to  100  tons  per  24  hours. 

SUGAR   MACHINERY  in  all  its  branches. 
DISTILLING   PLANT  in  all  its  branches. 
BREWING   PLANT  in  all  its  branches. 

STEAM-ENGINE  MAKERS. 

HYDRAULIC  AND  SCREW  PRESSES  of  all  kinds. 

GENERAL  ENGINEERS,  IRON  FOUNDERS,  COPPERSMITHS, 
BRASS  FOUNDERS,  ETC. 


NORDDEUTSGHER  LLOYD 

EXPRESS   MAIL    SERVICES 

FROM   SOUTHAMPTON. 


TO  NEW  YORK 

Bi- Weekly  Service  on  Wednesdays  and  Sundays. 
Special  Train  from  Waterloo  Station,  London,  on  Morning  of  Sailing  Day. 

The  ^vorddeutscher  Lloyd  Line  has  the  finest  Fleet  on  the  Atlantic,  and  carries 
a  larger  number  of  Saloon  Passengers  than  anv  other. 


TO   AUSTRALIA 

Every  28  Days  via  Suez  Canal,  calling  at  Genoa,  Naples,  Port  Suit 
Suez,  Aden,  and  Colombo. 

TO  CHINA  AND  JAPAN 

Every  28  Days,  via  Suez  Canal. 
Fastest  Steamers  in  the  China  Trade. 


GENERAL  AGENTS  : 


KELLER,  WALLIS,   &  COMPANY, 

32   COCKSPUR  ST.,    CHARING   CROSS,  S.W^., 
65,  66,  and  67   GRACECHURCH  ST.,  E.G. 

And  at  SOUTHAMPTON  and  MANCHESTER, 

Or,  PHILLIPPS  &  GRAVES,  BOTOLPH  HOUSE,  EASTCHEAP. 


13 


ADVERTISE  !  ADVERTISE 

ADVERTISE  ADVERTISE 


ADVERTISE 

world-wide 

ADVERTISE 

ADVERTISE 

influence  and  con- 

ADVERTISE 

ADVERTISE 

nexions,  combined  with 

ADVERTISE 

ADVERTISE            ai 

1  exceptionally  friendly  re 

ADVERTISE 

ADVERTISE 

ADVERTISE 

lationship  with  the  World's  Press, 


enable 


REUTER'S 

!  TELEGRAM  COMPANY,   LIMITED,  ! 

25  Old  Jewry,  London.  E.G., 

ADVERTISE  ADVERTISE 

ADVERTISE  ^-^-^  ADVERTISE 

ADVERTISE  ^^"'^^'""  ^""'""  ADVERTISE 

,^,,^__.,__  otherwise  unob-  ■  »*i.^»%^i#m- 

ADVERTISE  ADVERTISE 

tainable. 

ADVERTISE  ADVERTISE 

ADVERTISE  ADVERTISE 

ADVERTISE  I  ADVERTISE 


H 


RAVENSGROFT  &  MILLS, 

559  Calle  Piedad, 

BUENOS  AIRES. 


Advertising  Contractors  in  the 

Railways,  Tramways,  and  Newspapers  of 

the  Argentine  Republic. 


All  General  Agency  Business  attended  to. 

Trade  Marks  registered. 

Sole  Agents  for  Reuter's  Telegram  Co.,  London. 


Telegraphic  Address  :  "  QUATREFOIL,"  BUENOS  AIRES. 
THE   REVIEW  OF  THE   RIVER   PLATE, 

559  CALLE  PIEDAD,  BUENOS  AIRES. 

ISSUED  EVERY  SATURDAY. — Contains  the  latest  and  most  reliable 
information  on  Railway  Matters,  Finance,  Insurance,  Shipping,  and  General 

News. 

TERMS   OF   SUBSCRIPTION. 

To-rcn  (12  months)  §15  paper.       I      Uruguay  (12  months)  $5  gold. 
Camp  ,,  616       ..  I      Europe,  etc.        ,,  1  guinea. 

Agents  in   London: 

Reuter's  Telegram  Co.,  Old  Jewry,  London. 

THE  RIVER  PLATE  SPORT  AND  PASTIME. 

A  Weekly  Paper  devoted  to  Sport,  Estancia,  &  Colony. 
Subscription. 


To-WTi  (12  months)  $15  paper. 
Camp  „  816      „ 


Uruguay  (12  months)  85  gold. 
Europe,  etc.       .,  1  guinea. 


London  Agents  : 

MESSRS.  BATES,  HENDY,  d  CO.,  37  WALBROOK. 

Proprietors  : 

RAVENSGROFT  d  MILLS,  559  PIEDAD,  BUENOS  AIRES. 

15 


THE  DE  LA  VERGNE  PATENT 
REFRIGERATING  AND  ICE-MAKING  MACHINE, 


OVER    480    ERECTED. 


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See  IllustratioD,  Page  168,  of  Machines  supplied  to 

COMPANIA  SANSINENA  DE   CARNES  CONGELADAS, 
BUENOS  AYRES. 

i6 


A 


University  of  British  Columbia  Library 

DUE  DATE 


OCT 


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AGRICULTURE 

FORESTRY 

LIBRARY 


FORESTRY 

AGRICULTURE 

LIBRARY 


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